The
Roman Baths in Bath obviously date back to Roman times, nearly 2,000
years ago. But much else in Bath that people come to admire is much
more recent.
Richard 'Beau' Nash is credited with turning Bath from just another
town to the elegant city it now is. There is a statue of Beau in the
Pump Rooms. In 1704 Beau become master of ceremonies and ignited Bath's
reputation as a safe, civilised and fashionable place. Soon Bath had
a season where anybody who mattered came to Bath for fun, romance
and social networking.
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Pulteney
Bridge |
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Architecture
Much
of the allure today of Bath is the City architecture dating back to
this time, one style and material, the honey coloured stone quarried
locally.
John Wood was largely responsible for building Bath in the mid 18th
Century in the 'Palladian' style. Today there are three main areas
of note where you can admire this style at its best, all are within
5-10 minutes walk of the centre/Roman Baths. |
Royal
Crescent |
Royal
Crescent
Royal
Crescent was built between 1767 and 1775, numbering 30 houses built
in the trademark honey stone of Bath with a facade of columns. In
front of the crescent is a grass area which now extends into Victoria
Park. The houses are still as fashionable today as they were then.
Number 1 is open to the public so you can catch a glimpse of the interior
of the authentic Georgian style of the time, in addition to the exterior. |
The
Circus
Begun
in 1754 and completed in 1768. The name comes from the Latin word
'circus', which means a ring, oval or circle.
Divided into three segments of equal length, the Circus is a circular
space surrounded by large townhouses. Each of the curved segments
faces one of the three entrances, thereby ensuring that whichever
way a visitor enters there is a beautiful facade straight ahead. |
The
Circus |
The
Circus was part of John Wood the Elder's grand vision to recreate
a classical Palladian architectural landscape for the city. It is
only about 200m from the Royal Crescent.
Running south from The Circus is Gay Street, which runs down to Queens
Square. Looked at from a plan the Circus, Gay Street and Queens Square
make the perfect keyhole shape.
Queen Square was the first speculative development by John Wood, (he
lived on the south side of the square).
The palatial north façade was designed to give grandeur to
the whole square. The Square itself is a green space just around the
corner from the main shopping street and Roman Baths. Today you may
find an exhibition or perhaps a French Market in the square sometimes. |
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