Touring Bath

 

 Pulteney Bridge built in 1773 crosses the Avon River

 Bath Abbey built in 1499 is the last of the great Gothic churches in England

 Looking out at historic Bath from the top of the Abbey Tower, the tallest structure in Bath

 Punting boats for rent on the River Avon

Narrow boats on the Kennet and Avon Canal built in 1810 with the horse tow path on the left

Bath became famous due to its supposedly healing hot springs long before the Romans arrived in the first century.  But the Romans developed it into a tourist destination and called it Aquae Sulis.  So many Romans visited the hot springs the name was shortened the simply Bath.  After the Roman Empire crumbled in the 5th century, so did Bath.  In fact life went on but not as a hot springs resort and over time the Roman remains were lost and built over.  It was not until 1880 that the Roman Baths were accidentally rediscovered and a museum created to protect them.  Bath's second coming was again due to the hot springs as Queen Mary conceived a child after bathing in them.  She started visiting Bath on a regular basis and soon so did the rest of Upper Crust society creating a building boom that is still visible today.  In 1988 Bath was designated a World Heritage Site as one of the best preserved 18th Century cities in the world.  It truly is a remarkable place and we really enjoyed walking around and exploring all its nooks and crannies.  We also took a tour of the inside workings of the Bath Abbey, a boat cruise up the Avon River and a walk along the Kennet and Avon canal tow path before collapsing on our couch in front of the telly.