INSTRUCTION : Read the text
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Bath
Aerial view over northern Bath from a hot air balloon
Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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Bath |
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Statistics |
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80,000 |
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BA1, BA2 |
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01225 |
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Climate
The climate of Bath is temperate, although significantly warmer than some other
locations at a similar latitude due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream.
It is on average drier and warmer than more northerly parts of the United
Kingdom. The prevailing winds are south-westerly, from the North Atlantic Current. More than 50% of the
days are overcast. There are few natural hazards, although there can be strong
winds and floods, especially in winter.
In 2003 the annual mean temperature was 10.3 °C, with extremes
at 14.2 °C and 6.5 °C (50.5 °F, 57.5 °F and 43.7 °F, respectively). There were 1645
hours of sunshine, and 957 millimetres of rainfall. The temperatures, sunshine
duration and rainfall are higher than the United Kingdom averages (which are
9.5 °C, or 49 °F, 1587 hours and 901.5 millimetres, respectively).
Tourism
Bath's principal industry is tourism. Bath is the most visited city outside of London for tourists
travelling to the UK.
All significant stages of the history of England are represented within the
city, from the Roman Baths (including their significant Celtic presence), to Bath Abbey
and the Royal Crescent, to Thermae
Bath Spa in the 2000s.
The size of the tourist
industry is reflected in the almost 300 places of accommodation—including over
80 hotels, and
over 180 Bed and Breakfasts. The city also contains
approximately 100 restaurants, and a similar number of public
houses and bars.
History
Bath is a city
in South West England
most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs.
The thermal waters rise from a depth of about 3000
metres (10,OOO feet )at a daily rate of around l.l7 million liters (¼ million
gallons), at a constant temperature of 46.5 C.
The waters are thought to originate as rainwater
which fell on the Mendip Hills to the south between 20 and 80,000 years ago.
They reach the surface in three places in the city
centre. The baths have been built over
each of them. But, in 1984, a new inclined borehole was drilled to tap the
spring 14 metres below street level, as shown in the diagram to ensure a pure
supply of water.
The city was first documented as a Roman
spa, although
tradition suggests that it was founded earlier. The waters from its spring were
believed to be a cure for many afflictions.Throughout the 18th
century Bath’s growing reputation as a health spa attracted both patients and
doctors to the town. The new Bath guide of 1790 advertises 18 physicians, 13
surgeons and 25 apothecaries.
Many quacks and charlatans also set up in business to pray off the
wealthy invalids who flocked to Bath during the season. A visitor in 1709
recorded that he had been cured of a mortal disease in one week.
The archaeological evidence
shows that the site of the main spring was treated as a shrine by the Celts, and dedicated to
the goddess Sulis.
The Romans probably occupied Bath shortly after their invasion of Britain in 43 AD. They knew it as Aquae Sulis (literally "the waters
of Sulis"), identifying the goddess with Minerva. In Roman
times the worship of Sulis continued and messages to her scratched onto metal
have been recovered from the Sacred Spring by archaeologists. These are known
as curse tablets. The
corpus from Bath is the most important found in Britain.
The Roman Baths
from the upper level of the site. The loss of the original roof has encouraged
green algae growth.
During the Roman period, increasingly grand temples and bathing
complexes were built in the area, including the Great Bath.
In the Elizabethan period, the city revived as a spa.
The baths were improved and the city began to attract the aristocracy in the
bathing seasons.
From Elizabethan to Georgian
times it was a resort city for the wealthy. As a result of its popularity
during the latter period, the city contains many fine examples of Georgian architecture, most notably the Royal
Crescent.
The Royal
Crescent from the air: Georgian taste favoured the civilised regularity of
Bath's streets and squares and the delightful contrast with rural nature
immediately at hand.
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Famous people ·
Even if there is no truth in the Bladud myth it still provides us with a
fascinating story about the origins of Bath BLADUD, the British
King who learnt to fly, is one of the most remarkable characters to figure in
Bath’s history. Today his image presides over the King’s and Cross Bath
springs. The head carved within the pediment of the temple of Sulis Minerva
at Bath is thought by some to be an image of a Celtic deity which could have
inspired the Bladud story. The myth of Bladud has been
repeated added to and altered by various writers over the last 8OO years. In
the 18th century the later myth of Bladud became popular. |
The early myth :
BLADUD
became the ninth King of the Britons in 863 B.C. succeeding his father
Ludhudibras. Educated at Athens he returned on his fathers death accompanied by
four philosophers. He founded a university at Stamford in Lincolnshire and by
practicing necromancy () created the hot springs at Bath. Here he founded a
temple dedicated to Minerva. He made feathered wings and learnt to fly but fell
on the Temple of Apollo at New Troy and broke his neck, after reigning 20
years. He was succeeded by his son King Lear.
The later myth :
BLADUD spent eleven years at Athens and returned home
a leper. Because of his illness he was confined but escaped in disguise from
his father’s court and came to a place called Swainswick where he was employed
as a swineherd. In cold weather he
saw his pigs wallowing in a mire. He found that the mud was warm and the pigs
enjoyed the heat. Noticing that the pigs which bathed in the mire were
free of (=had no) scabs, and reasoning that he might benefit in the same way,
he too bathed in the waters and was cured of leprosy. He revealed his identity
to his master and returned to has father’s court where he was recognised and
restored to his inheritance.
He succeeded to the throne on his father’s
death, whereupon he founded the City of Bath around the hot springs and built
the baths so that others might benefit as he had done
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Jane Austeen
Jane Austen lived in Bath from
1801 to 1806. Her main residences were,
4 Sydney Place, 27 Green Park Buildings and 25 Gay St, she was also known
to have lived in Trim St, apparently she only lived there for a couple of
weeks. In 1797 she came to Bath to visit her uncle and aunt who lived at 1 Paragon,
she also visited bath again in 1799 and stayed at 13 Queens Square.
Architecture
Fan vaulting
over the nave at Bath Abbey,
Bath, England. Made from local Bath stone, this is a Victorian restoration
(made in the 1860s) of the original roof from 1608
Bath
Abbey at sunset.Of Bath's notable buildings, the oldest is Bath Abbey. The
building is lit by 52 windows.
Royal Crescent,
seen from a hot air balloon.
The best known of Bath's terraces is the Royal Crescent,
built between 1767 and 1774 and designed by the younger John Wood.