I had never heard of Pulteney Bridge prior to the visit to Bath. According to our tour guide, the 18th century bridge is one of only four bridges in the world that has shop lots on both sides on the bridge.
Pulteney Bridge across River Avon
Pulteney Bridge across River Avon
Photo of Bath Abbey
I grabbed a sandwich and found a bench just outside of the Bath Abbey’s West Front. They were some street performers playing musical instruments and doing some tricks at the small square; and a group of Japanese girls were there to show a short Japanese traditional dance too.
We were dropped nearby Bath Abbey and allowed our own free time. My first destination in Bath… the Roman Baths.
The Great Bath of Roman Baths
It took less than an hour for us to reach the City of Bath from Lacock. Bath looked splendid from distance with its unique yellowish architecture.
Our guide drove us around the city to see some places like the Royal Crescent and The Circus.
Most buildings in the city were built of limestone, which were originally yellowish (some said golden); but lots of the buildings looked dark and brownish because of the age and pollution.
The city was undergoing a massive restoration and cleaning during my visit in order to return the city to its yellowish appearance. Lots of roads were blocked because of this, and the traffic was pretty horrendous.
The Royal Crescent, a row of building that was built in an arch (crescent) shape. You can see from the pic that some parts of the building had been cleaned and looked more yellowish (the rest were darker)
Brief History of Bath
Bath is famous for its Roman baths which was built by the Romans during their occupation of Britain (43AD - 410AD).
Bath re-achieved its glory in the 17th century after Thomas Guidott published his work about the curative properties of the hot spring waters, which caught the attention of the country and the royals.
In the 18th and 19th century during the Georgian times, Bath was a resort city for the royals and the wealthy. Lots of the current Bath’s architecture was built during that period.