The City of Bath – Ancient and Modern

Mrs C and I took a break to visit the city of Bath, and we enjoyed it immensely. I’d been once before, and I knew there were many historical treasures in the place, but I hadn’t realised the modern city was so vibrant and busy. Living in such a small and quiet village, we find it quite a novelty to have a choice of restaurants and entertainment venues on our doorstep.

I took lots of photos, and I hope you enjoy this selection. As always, you can see the full set and leave a comment when you sign in. Registration is free.

We began with the Jane Austen Centre: a small museum where you’re shown around by a character in full costume. There’s a chance to dress up for a photo, so we gave it a go.

I love a good book shop, and Toppings is a cathedral of books. If you ask, the staff will make you a cup of tea or coffee. Delightfully, they don’t charge for this service. You can take your drink and sit at a table and browse. And browse and browse. Glorious.

Bath has a lot to offer any fan of architecture. A walk by the river is lovely, and we found a park to sit and relax. They usually charge to enter the park, but to acknowledge the death of Queen Elizabeth II, entry was free. There were some flower beds that I presume were planted for the Jubilee, and people had left bunches of flowers and notes beside them.

The Roman baths were rather wonderful. The thermal springs still flow hot. The water emerging from the earth fell as rain over 10,000 years ago on the Mendips. As well as the hot bath, there are several well-preserved rooms that stretch out beneath the modern streets. We spent several hours looking at everything, and I found it eye-opening.

Below there are curses, scratched into sheets of lead. When someone stole your toga or pinched your money, you asked the gods to take revenge.

If you’ve read my Darkeningstone books, you’ll know that I’m intrigued by the skill of stonemasons who have shaped our world for thousands of years. Here are some of the marks they left behind.

Trad jazz played by a trio in a small pub. People danced and the atmosphere was great.

The Georgian architecture that Bath is famous for. This is the circus, the houses built in a ring around a central grassy area. Very grand.

Comments are always welcome.

To see other featured photos on the site, please visit the Featured Photos category,