51°23N 2°22W, pop (2000e) 84 400. Spa town, part of Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority (from 1996), SW England, UK; on R Avon, 19 km/12 mi ESE of Bristol; noted since Roman times for its hot springs; chartered in 1189; fashionable spa centre in 18th-c; railway; university (1966); tourism, printing, plastics, engineering; Roman baths, 15th-c Roman bath museum, abbey church, notable Georgian crescents; City of Bath a world heritage site; Mid-Somerset festival (Mar), Festival of the Arts (May).
Bath is a city in South West England most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs.
The city is founded around the only naturally-occurring hot springs in the United Kingdom.
Geography
Situation and transport
Bath is located at 51°23′N 2°22′W. Its main railway station, Bath Spa, lies on the Great Western Railway, the main line between Bristol and London, as well as the line linking Cardiff with Portsmouth.
Bath is connected to Bristol and the sea by the River Avon, navigable via locks by small boats. The river was connected to the River Thames and London by the Kennet and Avon Canal in 1810 via Bath Locks;
Physical geography
Bath is centred on the bottom of the Avon Valley, located at the southern edge of the Cotswolds, a range of limestone hills designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The surrounding hills give Bath its steep streets and make its buildings appear to climb the slopes. Three of these springs feed the thermae baths.
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.
Politics
The Liberal Democrat Don Foster is the Member of Parliament for Bath. His election was perhaps the most notable result of the 1992 results, as Chris Patten, the previous Member (and a Cabinet Minister), played a major part, as Conservative Party Chairman, in getting the government of John Major re-elected, but failed to defend his marginal seat in Bath. Don Foster has been re-elected as the MP for Bath in every election since.
Historically part of the county of Somerset, Bath came into Avon when that non-metropolitan county was created in 1974. Since the abolition of Avon in 1996, Bath has been the main centre of the Unitary Authority of Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES). Bath's city council was abolished in 1996; There have been calls to set up a parish council for Bath, but it would be larger than any precedent (the largest, Weston-super-Mare, has a population of about 70,000), and many have argued that it would be impractical. The sword of St Paul is a link to Bath Abbey. The supporters, a lion and a bear, stand on a bed of acorns, a link to Bladud, the Legend of Bath. The knight's helmet indicates a municipality and the crown is that of King Edgar, the first king of a united England, who was crowned in Bath in 973 on the site of the current abbey.
Demographics
According to the UK Government's 2001 census, Bath, combined with the immediate surrounding area of North East Somerset, has a population of 169,040, with an average age of 39.9 (the national average being 38.6). Since Bath is known for its restorative powers it is interesting to note that only 7.4% of the population describe themselves as "not healthy" in the last 12 months, compared to a national average of 9.2%; The Romans probably occupied Bath shortly after their invasion of Britain in 43 AD. For Example, if a citizen had his clothes stolen at the Baths, he would write a curse on a tablet, to be read by the Goddess Sulis, and also, the "suspected" names would be mentioned. The corpus from Bath is the most important found in Britain.
During the Roman period, increasingly grand temples and bathing complexes were built in the area, including the Great Bath. However, while the great suite of baths at Bath fell into disrepair, some use of the hot springs continued.
Post-Roman and Saxon
It has been suggested that Bath may have been the site of the Battle of Mons Badonicus (circa 500 AD), where King Arthur is said to have defeated the Saxons, but this is disputed. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions Bath falling to the West Saxons in 577 after the Battle of Deorham. The Anglo-Saxons called the town Baðum, Baðan or Baðon, meaning "at the baths," and this was the source of the present name. In 675, Osric, King of the Hwicce, set up a monastic house at Bath, probably using the walled area as its precinct. Bath had become a royal possession.
Norman, Medieval and Tudor
King William Rufus granted the city to a royal physician, John of Tours, who became Bishop of Wells and Abbot of Bath in 1088, with permission to move the seat of Somerset from Wells to Bath. Bishop John therefore became the first Bishop of Bath. New baths were built around the three springs.
Later bishops preferred Wells, which regained cathedral status jointly with Bath. By the 15th century, Bath Cathedral was badly dilapidated. Oliver King, Bishop of Bath and Wells, decided in 1500 to rebuild it on a smaller scale. The new cathedral was completed just a few years before Bath Priory was dissolved in 1539. The baths were improved and the city began to attract the aristocracy in the bathing seasons. Bath was granted city status in 1590.
17th century
During the English Civil War the Battle of Lansdowne was fought on July 5, 1643 on the outskirts of Bath.
Sally Lunn, (aka Solange Luyon) a Hugenot refugee, came to Bath and found work with a baker in Lilliput Alley (now North Parade Passage), creating the now world-famous Sally Lunn Bun
18th century
There had been much rebuilding in the Stuart period, but this was eclipsed by the massive expansion of the city in Georgian times. This was a response to the continuing demand for elegant accommodation for the city's fashionable visitors, for whom Bath had become a pleasure resort as well as a spa. The creamy gold of Bath stone further unified the city, much of it obtained from the limestone Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, which were owned by Ralph Allen (1694–1764).
The early 18th century saw Bath acquire its first purpose-built theatre, pump room and assembly rooms.
Bath elected two members to the Unreformed House of Commons.
20th century
Between the evening of 25 April and the early morning of 27 April 1942 Bath was subjected to three air raids by the Luftwaffe in reprisal for RAF raids on the German cities of Lübeck and Rostock.
Culture
During the 18th century, Bath was an extremely fashionable cultural hub, attracting the aristocracy and gentry from all over the country. It was during this time that Bath's Theatre Royal was first built, as well as architectural triumphs such as Lansdown Crescent, the Royal Crescent, The Circus and Pulteney Bridge.
Today, Bath has four theatres—Theatre Royal, Ustinov Studio, The Egg and Rondo Theatre—attracting internationally renowned companies and directors, including Peter Hall. Bath Abbey is home to the Klais Organ and is the largest concert venue in the city, with about 20 concerts and 26 organ recitals each year. The city holds the Bath International Music Festival and Mozartfest every year. Other festivals include the annual Bath Film Festival, the Bath Fringe Festival and the Bath Beer Festival.
The city is home to the Victoria Art Gallery, Museum of East Asian Art, and The Holburne Museum of Art, as well as the museums The Bath Postal Museum, The Museum of Costume, The Jane Austen Centre and the Roman Baths.
The city has many churches including Manvers Gospel Hall, located in the city centre.
Bath in the arts
Perhaps the best known resident of Bath was Jane Austen, who lived in the city from 1801 until 1806. However, Jane Austen never liked the city, and wrote to her sister Cassandra "It will be two years tomorrow since we left Bath for Clifton, with what happy feelings of escape." Despite her feelings regarding the city, Bath has honoured her name with the Jane Austen Centre and a city walk based on Austen.
Charles Dickens' novel Pickwick Papers also features Bath, and satirises its social life. William Friese-Greene began experimenting with celluloid and motion pictures in his studio in
Bath in the 1870s, developing some of the earliest movie camera technology there. Moyra Caldecott's novel The Waters of Sul is set in Roman Bath in 72 AD. Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play The
Rivals is also set in Bath. In 2004, a movie version of Thackeray's Vanity Fair was largely filmed in Bath. The 1980s band Tears for Fears is from Bath. The Pop duo Goldfrapp is from
Bath. Roald Dahl's chilling short-story, "The Landlady" also takes place in the city of Bath. In August 2003 the Three Tenors sang at a special concert to mark the opening of the Thermae Bath
Spa, a new hot water spring spa in Bath City Centre;
Parks
The city has several public parks, the main one being Royal Victoria Park is a short walk from the centre of the city.
Other parks in Bath include: Alexandra Park, which crowns a hill and overlooks the city;
Food
Sally Lunn's buns (a type of teacake) have long been baked in Bath.
Visitors sometimes confuse Sally Lunn's buns with Bath Buns — smaller, round, very sweet, very rich buns that were associated with the city following the Great Exhibition. but today seeds are added to a 'London Bath Bun' (a reference to the bun's promotion and sale at the Great Exhibition).
Bath has also lent its name to one other distinctive recipe — Bath Olivers — the dry baked biscuits invented by Dr William Oliver, physician to the Mineral Water Hospital, Bath in 1740. Oliver was an early anti-obesity campaiger, writing a "Practical Essay on the Use and Abuse of warm Bathing in Gluty Cases". Atkins subsequently opened a shop in Green Street, Bath and became a rich man on the proceeds.
Sport
The city's best known sporting team is Bath Rugby, a rugby union team which is currently in the Guinness Premiership league. The current England Rugby Team Manager Andy Robinson used to play for Bath Rugby team and was Captain and later Coach. While in the Bath team, he was a Physical Education, Rugby and Mathematics teacher at King Edward's School, North Road, Bath. Both of Robinson's predecessors, Clive Woodward and Jack Rowell, were also former Bath coaches and managers.
Bath City F.C. and Team Bath F.C. (affiliated with the University of Bath) are the major football teams, both of which are in the Southern Football League. In 2002, Team Bath became the first university team to enter the FA Cup in 120 years, and advanced through four qualifying rounds to the first round proper. Unlike the city's rugby team, Bath City have never attained an elite status in English football; Bath City F.C.
Cricket is played at the Bath Cricket Club, located, like the rugby Recreation Ground, east of the river, near Pulteney Bridge. The cricket ground is the venue for the annual Bath Cricket Festival which sees Somerset County Cricket Club play several games.
The Bath Recreation Ground (BathRec) is also home to Bath Croquet Club, which was re-formed in 1976 and is affiliated with the South West Federation of Croquet Clubs.
TeamBath is the umbrella name for all of the University of Bath sports teams, including the aforementioned football club.
Bath is also the home of the Bath American Football Club, which has been playing American Football in the city since 2001.
Business
The city lies at the junction of the Kennet and Avon Canal and the navigable River Avon. The magazine publisher Future Publishing is one of Bath's bigger employers. Bath contains many small single-shop or restaurant-based businesses, which fulfil a niche market and are primarily supported by tourism.
Tourism
Bath's principal industry is tourism. Bath is the most visited city outside of London for tourists travelling to the UK, whose visits mainly fall into the categories of heritage tourism or cultural tourism. 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. While many come to Bath to see the city in general, some are attracted to particular aspects of the city, such as the Jane Austen landmarks or the Roman Baths.
The Spa
In 2006, with the opening of Thermae Bath Spa, the city has attempted to recapture its historical position as the only town in the United Kingdom offering visitors the opportunity to bathe in naturally heated spring waters.
Twinned towns
Bath has four twinned towns:
Aix-en-Provence, France Alkmaar, Netherlands Braunschweig, Germany 1947 Kaposvár, HungaryTransport
Bath is served by the Bath Spa railway station, which has regular connections to London Paddington, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff Central, Swansea, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance (see Great Western Main Line), and also Westbury, Warminster, Salisbury, Southampton, Portsmouth and Brighton (see Wessex Main Line).
Though Bath does not have an airport, the city is not far from Bristol International Airport, which may be accessed by car and by bus or taxi, and by rail via Bristol Temple Meads or Nailsea &
National Express operates coach services from Bath to a number of cities. Internally, Bath has a large number of bus routes run by the First Group, with services to surrounding towns and cities.
Architecture
Of Bath's notable buildings, Bath Abbey is one of the most striking and whilst appearing very old, in terms of Britain's many ancient Abbeys and cathedrals, it is comparatively new.
The dominant style of architecture in Bath is Georgian, which is an evolution of the Palladian revival style which became popular in the early 18th century. Many of the prominent architects of the day were employed in the development of the city, and as a result Bath has many fine terraces of what appear to be elegant townhouses. However, the original purpose of much of Bath's fine architecture is concealed by the honey-coloured classical facades;
"The Circus" is one of the most splendid examples of town planning in the city.
The best known of Bath's terraces is the Royal Crescent, built between 1767 and 1774 and designed by the younger John Wood. This "all to the front and no rear" architecture occurs repeatedly in Bath. It was named after Frances and William Johnstone Pulteney, the owners of the Bathwick estate for which the bridge provided a link to the rest of Bath.
The heart of the Georgian city was the Pump Room, which, together with its associated Lower Assembly Rooms, was designed by Thomas Baldwin, a local builder who was responsible for many other buildings in the city, including the terraces in Argyle Street. Baldwin rose rapidly, becoming a leader in Bath's architectural history. In 1776 he designed the Bath Guildhall, where his design of the interior is reputed to be one of the finest neo-classical interiors in the country.
Architecturally, Bath is one of the most balanced cities in England, and is an unusual example of coherent town planning combined with well-executed and diverse architectural styles.
A panoramic view of the Royal CrescentEducation
Bath has two universities, The University of Bath and Bath Spa University. It is also well known for its sports, which it plays under the name Team Bath. In football, Team Bath F.C.
Bath Spa University was first granted degree-awarding powers in 1992 as a university college (Bath Spa University College), before being granted university status in August 2005.
The city contains one A-Level college, City of Bath College, and several sixth forms (schools which contain A-Level awarding departments) as part of both state , private, and public schools.
Independent Schools
| School | Type | Results | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Edward's School | co-educational with sixth form | ||
| Prior Park College | co-educational with sixth form | ||
| Kingswood School | co-educational with sixth form | ||
| Royal High School | girls-only with sixth form | ||
| Monkton Combe | co-educational with sixth form |
State-funded Schools
| School | Type | Results | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beechen Cliff School | boys-only with co-educational sixth form | ||
| Culverhay School | boys-only with sixth form | ||
| Hayesfield School | girls-only with co-educational sixth form | ||
| St Gregory's Catholic College | co-educational with no sixth form | ||
| Oldfield School | girls-only with co-educational sixth form | ||
| Ralph Allen School | co-educational with sixth form | ||
| St Mark's CofE School | co-educational with no sixth form |
Many notable people, such as Sir Roger Bannister, Ann Widdecombe, comedian Bill Bailey and Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, went to school in Bath.
Media
Bath has two main local newspapers, the Bath Chronicle and the Bath Times. Both of these are published by Bath Newspapers with joint sales of approximately 178,000 per week, although the Bath Times is a freely distributed paper that contains the highlights from the past week's editions of the Chronicle. The BBC's Where I Live web site for Somerset has featured coverage of news and events within Bath since 2003. In addition to these, The University of Bath has its own newspaper publication called Impact, a free fortnightly newspaper, written and edited entirely by students at the University of Bath.
Radio stations broadcasting to the city include GWR Bath and the more locally-focused Bath FM, as well as The University of Bath's 1449AM URB, a student-focused radio on campus and also available online and Classic Gold 1260 a networked commercial radio station with local programs.
Places of interest
American Museum Assembly Rooms Bath Abbey Beckford's Tower The Circus Claverton Pumping Station Cleveland Bridge Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines Great Pulteney Street Kennet and Avon Canal Lansdown Crescent Museum of East Asian Art Postal Museum Prior Park Pulteney Bridge The Recreation Ground River Avon Roman Baths Royal Crescent Sally Lunn's Refreshment House & Museum The Oldest House in Bath c.1482 Solsbury Hill St Catherine's Court Thermae Bath Spa William Herschel MuseumExternal links
Bath Past Bath Postal Museum The city of Bath
Coordinates: 51°22′34″N, 2°21′35″W
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