Key Dates
- Pre 43 AD – Ancient Briton temple to Sul
- Pre 74 AD – Romans build baths and temple to Sulis–Minerva
- 973 – Edgar crowned 1st King of all England
- 1703 – ‘Beau’ Nash arrives in Bath
- 1727 – Wood Snr begins Queen Square
- 1770 – Wood Jnr completes Circus and Royal Crescent
- 1799–1806 – Jane Austen a frequent visitor to Bath
- 1878 – Roman Baths rediscovered
Further Sources
- A Portrait of Avon – John Hadden
- The New Bath Guide, Eva Jolly and Yvonne Whiteman
- Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, Amanda Foreman
- The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
- Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, Jane Austen
- The Rivals (play), Sheridan
Overview
People have been visiting Bath, England’s only hot spa, for over 2,000 years. The natural hot spring, which pumps half a million gallons of water daily at 48°C, was a holy site for the Ancient Britons and then for the Romans. The Romans built a vast baths complex with curative mineral water and leisure facilities that drew visitors from far and wide.
After the Romans left, the baths silted up and Bath became an ordinary medieval town until its second golden age in the 18th century. The health-giving waters again brought prosperity, thanks largely to Richard “Beau” Nash, Master of Ceremonies of the Pump Room, who cultivated Bath as a fashionable resort. Wealthy visitors spurred the building of the city’s famous Georgian architecture, now a World Heritage Site.
History
The Legend
Legend attributes the foundation of Bath to the pre-Roman prince Bladud, who suffered from leprosy. Observing pigs curing skin diseases by bathing in hot spring water, he tried it himself, was healed, and later became king — father of the legendary King Lear.
The Ancient Britons revered this spot, associating the steaming spring with the underworld and attributing its healing powers to the goddess Sul or Sulis.
Romans
The Romans adopted the holy site and built a grand temple to Sulis–Minerva. Bathing was central to Roman life, so they constructed a large baths complex, including a swimming pool. By Agricola’s time (78–84 AD), Aquae Sulis was one of Europe’s most important thermal spas, boasting a forum, baths, temple, and theatre. Visitors came from across the empire.
Anglo-Saxon and Medieval
After the Romans withdrew around 400 AD, the baths fell into disuse. Anglo-Saxons, suspicious of Roman architecture, called Bath Hoet Bathum (“the hot baths”). The pools eventually silted up beneath four metres of mud.
They built a monastery to St Peter and St Paul, where Edgar was crowned the first king of all England in 973. Medieval Bath prospered from high-quality wool and cloth production, referenced in Chaucer’s *Wife of Bath*.
The dissolution of the monasteries and a recession in the cloth industry brought decline in the 16th century.
Fashionable Bath
Bath revived as a spa in the 17th century, especially among women seeking cures for infertility. Royal patronage by Catherine of Braganza and Mary of Modena elevated its status. But the city was initially dirty, unpaved, unsafe, and ill-equipped for wealthy crowds.
Richard “Beau” Nash arrived in 1703 and transformed Bath through charm and relentless pressure on town authorities. He regulated sedan chairs, improved sanitation, banned swords and duels, instituted a strict 11 pm curfew in the Assembly Rooms, and established Bath as the centre of polite society.
Everyone who was anyone visited: Lord Nelson, Lady Hamilton, William Wilberforce, Mrs Fitzherbert, and even the daughter of Marie Antoinette.
Decline and Modern Bath
Bath declined in the 19th century as sea-bathing grew fashionable. During WWII, the Admiralty relocated to Bath, and German Baedeker bombing destroyed many Georgian buildings. Post-war planners caused further damage with ill-suited developments, but since the 1970s major restoration has revived the city’s splendour.
Today Bath is thriving, with a major university, strong commuter links to London, and renewed pride in its architectural heritage.
Arts
Rising demand for grand homes allowed John Wood Senior and Junior to create a radical new classical style inspired by Palladio. Queen Square, The Circus, and the Royal Crescent — all built of Ralph Allen’s Bath stone — form one of Europe’s finest ensembles of Georgian architecture.
Literature
Bath has strong literary connections. Jane Austen spent several years here and set scenes of *Northanger Abbey* and *Persuasion* in the city. Sheridan eloped from Bath and fought duels here; his play *The Rivals* satirises its society. Henry Fielding used Ralph Allen as the model for Squire Allworthy in *Tom Jones*. Dickens visited often, depicting Bath’s decline in *The Pickwick Papers*.
Lifestyle
Bath was part of the fashionable “season,” a place to socialise and secure marriage prospects. Days revolved around the Pump Room, shopping in Milsom Street, visiting friends, strolling the Royal Crescent, and attending balls, concerts, and the theatre. Introductions were essential, and the Master of Ceremonies often arranged dancing partners.
Writers like Austen highlighted both the charm and superficiality of Bath society.
Roman Bathing
Roman baths followed a sequence: exercise in the gymnasium, the warm Tepidarium, the hot Caldarium, cleansing with olive oil and a strigil, and finally the cold Frigidarium. Bath’s complex was among the most luxurious in Europe, featuring hydrotherapy rooms, saunas, and spaces for socialising, gossip, and political intrigue.
Bath Rugby Club
Bath Rugby Club is one of the world’s most successful club sides, winning 11 major finals between 1984 and 1996. Its success made it a pillar of local pride, drawing tens of thousands of supporters to Twickenham.
The Visit
Bath Abbey: Rebuilt beginning in 1499 after Bishop Oliver King’s vision, this is the last great church in the Perpendicular Gothic style. Angels climbing Jacob’s Ladder appear on the façade. There is a museum inside.
Sally Lunn’s House: Home of Solange Luyon, a Huguenot refugee who introduced a brioche-style bun in 1680. The house still serves the original recipe and contains a small kitchen museum.
Pulteney Bridge: Designed by Robert Adam and modelled on Florence’s Ponte Vecchio. Once common in England, bridges with shops on both sides are now rare; Pulteney Bridge is the only surviving example. It includes tollhouses at each end.
Other notable museums include the Museum of Costume in the Assembly Rooms and No. 1 Royal Crescent, restored to its Georgian appearance.