On my own again!

 Tues September 24th. 

I was on my own today, after breakfast our tour group went to their next adventures.  I visited the Roman baths that were discovered in 1871 by Major Charles Davis. Because they were under homes, it took many years to purchase the homes and excavate the site and in 1897 the baths were open to the public. People flocked to the site for spa treatments on and off over the years, but they were closed permanently in 1978.  A nearby spa uses the same waters and opened in 2004.  The original baths are now a museum.  

As a little background, the Roman Baths here, were built around 70 AD. The complex was constructed on the site of a hot spring that was worshipped by a local tribe long before the Romans arrived. The Romans identified the Celtic goddess Sulis with their own goddess Minerva, (Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, war, art, schools, justice and commerce) and named the site "Aquae Sulis Minerva" to honor both goddesses. The baths covered an area larger than a football pitch.  Soon after it was built, the emporer Hadrian (he seems to have been everywhere too) decreed that the sexes had to be separate when bathing and areas were created for the men and women.  These included exercise areas, cold springs, steam rooms, pools etc.  To most Romans, personal cleanliness was a matter of pride and bathing a daily ritual.  Even the slaves bathed once a week.  Also, because of the original spring, where tribes had worshipped, to many Romans, this town was a pilgrimage destination. 

Main pool - top and bottom.

Pictured above and below is the sacred spring.  

Head of Sulis Minerva.  One of the best known Roman finds in Britain. It is bronze gilt with gold found here in 1727.  Gilt Bronze is rare in Roman Britain and there are only 2 other known pieces. 

I included this picture, because the docent said that there were no rabbits in Britain until the Romans brought them.  I bet all the English gardeners are not happy about that.  

The spring waters are still flowing below the complex.

After going through the museum, I found a website online that took you on a “Bridgerton walk” of the city.  There were many scenes shot here, mostly they describe scenes from season 1.  It also pointed out where to take some great pictures.  Here’s one, not from Bridgerton, but is a great shot of the Bath Abbey that I took.  For those that don’t know Bridgerton is a Netflix series based on books written by Julia Quinn.  They are set in the Regency period, late 1700’s in London, and focus on a family - the Bridgerton’s and their love interests.  

The curved white shopfront is the Bridgerton Modiste. (It houses a cute coffee shop in real life).   It is where the ladies of the ton go to gossip with Madame Delacroix.

Below is Alfred Street, a handsome Georgian street, except for those cars.  This street featured in the very first moments of Bridgerton, with extras strolling and carriages rolling along.

Here is No. 1 Royal Crescent.  This is currently a museum and is decorated in the period time of the regency era-approx 1775-1800.  The front facing the park was used as the basis for the Featherington House, with its door painted blue, and fancy decorations added using CGI. Apparently at an earlier stage of filming, No. 1 was intended to take the part of Bridgerton House, but later the homes were swapped, with the Ranger's House in Greenwich (London), used as the Bridgerton Home, with its more welcoming appearance.

This is the full Crescent with No. 1 at the far right.

Holbourne House is a museum, and is aka Lady Danbury house. 

The one with the curved white windows is Gunter’s Tea Shop.  (Daphne had a few scenes here). Past Gunter’s was a Hat Emporium on the show, it was popular with window-shopping ladies of high society in Bridgerton London.

Early on in Bridgerton, Eloise and Penelope walk beside these square’s railings during a long conversation about their opinion on feminism and other things.

Ok, enough of Bridgerton, but you also got to see what the architecture of the city looks like.  Bath homes are mostly made from a honey colored limestone.  Many are listed on the UNESCO heritage site, and that restricts what they can do to them.  The buildings are sort of yellowish and I would have thought dirty from white, but they are not.  The first picture is another one of the Royal Crescent area, it shows not only the yellow stone, but also how the fronts are exactly the same.   People put their individuality in the back of the building and in their gardens   The 2nd picture is the back of one of these, and has an example of a garden in a 1760 design.  

This next picture is part of the very prestigious Circus.   I was only able to get a quarter of it in the picture.  It is a round plan of stately homes with a park in the middle.  

After I had enough of touring the city, I walked along the Avon River Canal for a bit, it was pretty and quaint.   I originally set out to walk the 3 miles down the canal to a pub in a town called Bathampton.   I got a mile into the walk (after already walking for over 3 hours around town) and realized I was crazy.  And while I am sure it was safe, it seemed a bit remote to be walking so far by myself.  So I turned around!  Enjoy the pictures! 

To finish the day, I ate at the Rick Steves recommended Crystal Palace- right next to the “modiste” shop from Bridgerton.  I was so glad that I just walked in and sat at the bar rather than do a reservation.  The bar people and patrons were friendly and talkative.  If I wasn’t traveling tomorrow, and having to get up at 430,  I would have stayed for their quiz night at 730. 

There was a ton more to do in Bath, but it needed a day or two more, maybe I will be back someday.  It was an unforgettable trip to Southern England, I had a great time!   Thanks for following along with me.