Bath!

Our stay in Bath was great but ironically our hotel room had the smallest bathroom we have had so far, therefore no bath!!!

After arriving yesterday evening we went for a meander along the streets and found the Abbey and the Avon River before heading to Bill's for tea - he even had his own beer which was good!

This morning we found a coffee shop above the river and enjoyed breakfast and the view! We then headed for Bath Abbey which has a very long and interesting history, as does Bath.

Bath Abbey

The original Anglo-Saxon Abbey Church on the site was built in the 700s with the first 'King of all England' crowned in the church in the 900s. Among the many memorial stones around the abbey we found one for Admiral Arthur Phillip who died in Bath. We were not the only Aussies checking this one out!

Memorial stone for Admiral Arthur Phillip

Ten steps from the Abbey found us at the Roman Baths - we thought you can't really go to Bath and not see the baths! They are amazing - the springs themselves bubbling out of the ground, the structures the Romans built around the site as early as 49AD and the archaeological site that exists there today. The site was a social and religious monument for the people of the times and must have been an amazing discovery. The exhibit and information presented was very well done (what did the tourist industry do before audio guides?!!!).

 

We then skipped a few centuries and went to visit the Jane Austen Centre. Jane lived with her family for a few years when her father retired from his parish. She wasn't particularly keen to move away from her family home to Bath but found a lot of inspiration in the streets and people she met for her stories. Alas, Mr Darcy was not there today!

No, we didn't have tea as there was a half hour wait!

The Bath Circus (Latin for circle)

Another picturesque drive and a stop at some alternative tea rooms has brought us to Stratford upon Avon. Tomorrow we are off to find another Bill who was not known for his beer making!

 

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