Bath - the grand old aristocratic old lady of England

Location:
United Kingdom, Bath

A timetravel trip back to 18th Century elegance

By Steven Cassidy

"On Tuesdays and Thursdays the balls begin at six. Very promptly. Mr Nash leads out the most noble lord and lady in the minuet to begin the dancing. It was my Lord Baltimore last night and I swear his coat was lined quite through with ermine.."

Diary of Sophie Carey, visitor to Bath in 1726

Bath is a city which returns you to the age of elegance.

It is a city of graceful Georgian architecture, leafy crescents and bubbling ancient bath's. Here, in the 18th Century, English fashionable society would descend for 'the season' to take the bath's. Surrounding them is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. A jewel of Palladian architecture made entirely out of grey/yellow Oolite stone. A confection of terraces, domes, gardens, portico's and one of the most beautiful cathedrals in England. In fact there is a wealth of things to see and do in Bath - and some of it's attractions are world famous - the Roman Baths, Pulteney Bridge and the Royal Crescent are pieces of architecture par excellence.

But it is the sense of times gone by which is so seductive about Bath. Legend says it was founded by Bladud, father of Shakespeare's King Lear. Working as a swineherd he noticed his pigs seemed healthier when rolling in the warm mud of this part of Somerset. He asked for a temple to be built to the Celtic Goddess Sul over the primeval springs. The Romans built the greatest baths and named the city - Aquae Sulis - and constructed a great temple to the goddess Minerva. Their great Bath complex was rediscovered by the Georgians and Bath in the 18th Century was a place of great fashion. The cities status as a trendy playground was enhanced by the fantastic Georgian architecture of John Wood. Bath positively glows with honey-coloured crescents, circuses, and squares.

But the countryside surrounding Bath is equally beautiful. It starts at the ancient green Mendip Hills and roads lead through quaint villages to Wells and Glastonbury. Wells, itself, is a charming little city with a smack-in-the-mouth Cathedral. And Glastonbury is where witches and warlocks come out to play. The village is home to every kind of magic. New age mystics and healers come to worship the pagan ways of Glastonbury Tor and the Chalice Well. Whilst historians and the curious come to see where King Arthur and Queen Guinevere are laid to rest. Not to mention the last resting place of the Holy Grail.

The main attraction, however, are the Roman Baths. A glance at the ''Great Bath'' and you will catch your breath. A great bubbling green pool of water surrounded by a yellow cracked marble landing. Caramel columns hold up a viewing terrace dotted with crumbling lichen covered statues of Roman generals. There were springs here over two thousand years ago, the nearby Celtic tribes discovered them long before the Romans. To them they were places of great mystery, the abode of pagan gods and spirits. It was the Romans who turned them into brick and marble and they became an attraction for each Roman who was stationed here. They appreciated the reminder of sunny Italia in the savage blustery island province of Britannia.

One of the great things about visiting the Baths is participating in the ritual that accompanies them. A visit to the Pump Room is to indulge in the activities of fashionable 18th Century society, a trip back in time to the age of elegance. During the 18th Century this was the focal point of exclusive Bath. The creme de la creme of English society would visit after immersion in the healing waters but it really was a place to meet, mingle and gossip. People came here to cure their gout or respiratory problems but more came here to be seen.

The Pump room is decked out in ivory decor and sports a huge chandelier and parquet floor. Decorated with column's, statues and portraits of Nash, Allen and Wood (the three main creators of Georgian Bath) there are over fifty tables covered in white tableclothes with tea and biscuits are served all day and costing £4.50. We indulged in 'Afternoon Tea' which cost £7.50 and consisted of biscuits, cakes, and scones with lashings of jam and cream not to mention a teapot the size of a football. The accompanying chamber music is free and on Sunday's there is a pianist. The effect of the music makes the diners feel even more civilised.

Bath is England at its most English and nowhere is this more apparent then in 'The Assembly Rooms'. A kingdom watched over by the fastidious "Beau Nash".He ruled Bath with a rod of iron, it was he who decided the fashions of the day. He was so powerful that he could tell Duchesses, Countesses and even the Prince of Wales how to behave. Half the fun was probably obeying him and then laughing about it afterwards.

The first room is the Octagon Room. As per it's name it has eight sides and is decorated in light blue. The three other rooms were visible through the doors and this was where the visitors would gather under the chandeliers before deciding how they would spend their night. Most headed for the 'Ball Room' which measured at least one hundred feet long. It had a very high white ceiling and windows set 40ft up into the air. Supposedly, the high ceilings were to help ventilation.

Gambling was a big part of Bath and the men headed off to play whist, poker and cribbage whilst their womenfolk circulated and gossiped. It was easy to see in the minds eye these women squeezed into ballgowns with with ostrich feathers and glittering jewels. The minuets were so slow that they could move, smile and flirt with their partner while dancing.

I adore Bath. It feeds the imagination. It returns you to a time where elegance was paramount. Time travel in the 21st century - and it doesn't get any better then that.

Further Information

Travel tips: book on www.qjump.com before you arrive in Britain for cheaper railfares from London. The journey only takes three hours from Paddington.

Also, take one of the local buses to the villages around Bath and Bristol. Wells and Midsomer Norton are particularly pretty

Must see/do at this place: Bath is gorgeous but expensive with some of the highest real estate prices outside London. Luckily, there are some pubs which sell good food for a reasonable price (the 'Crystal Palace' for example) and some great places for picnics. Also the place is great for shopping

You should avoid here: Peak season in August when the tour parties are trying to get into the Roman baths