Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ous because of erosion under the bottom step and due for a further rebuild. The weir can be
reached upstream from the canal.
Bath has been a World Heritage City since 1987. In 863 BC Bladud, the son of King Lud
Hudibras, the father of King Lear, caught leprosy and worked as a swineherd but the pigs
caught it too. The pigs went into a warm black swamp and were cured so Bladud did likewise.
The carved acorns around the city recall the pigs' favourite food. The springs were suggested
as the gateway to the underworld. Bladud built Kaerbadum, now Bath, constructed the hot
baths, chose Minerva and encouraged necromancy. This was the beginning of the taking of
the waters for their curative properties. To the Romans it was Aquae Sulis after the local god.
Britain's only hot springs, 2.9l/s emerging at 46˚C, were used to supply the Roman baths that
were used from 65 to 410 and from which the city takes its name. A curse thrown into the
King's Spring among 12,000 coins includes the earliest reference in England to Christians.
When rediscovered in 1775, the spa produced the greatest collection of Roman finds in Bri-
tain: the temple of Sulis Minerva; mosaics; statues; jewellery; pottery; tombs; saunas; cold
plunges; and the Great Bath, 22m x 9.1m x 1.5m deep, which still uses the Roman plumbing
and its 8.5t of Mendip lead lining, this being one of the world's finest ancient thermal spas.
The Gorgon's head from the temple, actually a male, has been copied as the centrepiece of
the maze in the Parade Gardens.
The See of Wells moved here in 1088 and Bath Abbey, actually a priory although once a
cathedral and wool centre, as recalled by Chaucer's Wife of Bath in
The Canterbury Tales
,
was begun in 1499 on the site of a church of circa 680, where Edgar was crowned in 973 as
the first king of England. The church was gutted by fire in 1137. The 1499 design was given
to Bishop Oliver King in a dream, resulting in the stone carvings of angels climbing Jacob's
ladder to and from heaven on the west front. In a piazza, the Perpendicular Gothic building
has fine fan vaulting, restored 18th century cellars with an exhibition of 1,600 years of abbey
history, a 49m tower, a heavily carved oak door and a wrought-iron screen. It is called the
Lantern of the West because of the 52 windows, especially the brilliant 17th century 76m
2
window.
The oldest building in Bath is Sally Lunn's House of 1482 although it was not until 1680
that she baked her Hugenot brioche buns here. They are still baked to the same recipe. The
house has a museum of Roman, Saxon and medieval building and clay pipes in the cellar.
Bath buns are sugar-topped, spiced, currant buns, another Bath speciality. Bath Oliver bis-
cuits were invented in the 18th century by Dr William Oliver as part of an obesity diet.
The city was the first British tourist resort and considered fashionable after a visit by
Queen Anne. It became established as a spa in the 18th century by dandy Beau Nash, who
was known as the King of Bath for 50 years, banning the wearing of swords and other anti-
social behaviour. The pump room was opened in the style of an orangery in 1706 and rebuilt
in its current form in 1789-1799 by Thomas Baldwin. Exhibits include a 3m longcase clock
