About Bath

Bath is the only place in England with real hot springs and since the dawn of time it has been the healing centre for England. The Romans did not discover the springs, but they made good use of them. They arrived in the area around 45 A.D., after sweeping across Europe, and were delighted to find the healing mineral hot springs and the gorgeous location for them to start a settlement. And settle they did! This location had everything to offer, from the natural hot mineral springs, to the verdant wooded hills, giving shelter, game, and necessary resources such as lead and coal. In addition, the settlement had its own Clairvoyant or Seer, so that the new city, called Aquae Sulis, became a spiritual centre as well.

This was a big city, like Rome, with stone walls, stone buildings with decorative porticos and mosaic floors, and with its mild climate, green and pleasant hills, became a major retirement centre for generals and senators. Its Roman heyday lasted for 400 years! The Romans left when their empire collapsed and the rest is history.

Today, Bath is a small, but cosmopolitan and lovely city. In the time of King George, the city fathers built many innovative buildings in a style that has come to be known as the Georgian Style. Bath is the birthplace of this once modern architecture. Now, with its architectural integrity and the golden hue of its stone, it is one of the jewels of Britain's heritage.

Set within the rolling hills of the most amazing West County landscape, Bath has become the perfect base from which to explore our English history. There are many nearby historical sites, all within 60 minutes of Bath: Stonehenge, the enormous stone circle at Avebury, the beautiful cathedral at Wells, the mysteries of Glastonbury, the National Trust village of Lacock, the perfect Cotswold village of Castle Combe, the Cheddar Gorge, or Longleat, the spectacular home of the Marquis of Bath, as well as some amazing Castles in Wales - just 45 minutes away!