Posted:  Friday 21 October 2011

A Short Break in Bath for
South East Associates

- Monday 5th to Thursday 8th September -

Everyone knows The City of Bath; hot springs, the Roman Baths, a Georgian spa town, glorious architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

With nearly five million visitors each year the city has something for all tastes; history, culture, art, museums, theatres, restaurants, sport, and two universities.

Iron Age Britons were here, the Romans bathed here for over 300 hundred years, and throughout history Bath was always an important town from the Anglo-Saxon period to the Middle Ages and the Civil War.

The current fame of Bath stems from the 18th century when the aristocracy of the country learned of the health-giving properties of the hot mineral springs and flocked here in their thousands, and Bath became the leading centre of fashionable life in England giving rise to a building boom of Georgian architecture and infra-structure we see today.

Finally in September 2011 twenty-six Associates came to Bath to view and enjoy the fruits of our forebear's labour and vision, albeit with 21st century facilities.  We stayed for three nights at The Bailbrook House Hotel, an 18th century mansion set in 20 acres of gardens and parkland on the outskirts of Bath about 2 miles from the city centre.

Access to the city was good either by car, local bus from the bus stop outside the hotel or by river bus from Batheaston (about a mile away) to Pulteney Bridge in the centre - some even walked!  Full of anticipation we all gathered for pre-dinner drinks in the hotel conservatory to review our activities over the next two days.  There was no formal programme, a walk from the hotel along the Kennet and Avon canal to Pulteney Bridge (or in reverse) on the first day and a free city tour by one of the Mayor's Guides on the second.  Otherwise everyone was free to explore Bath wherever their interests took them, armed of course with all the tourist information, guides and maps provided by Cherry Nel.

The next day we all made our various ways to the centre to embark on our chosen interests; some to take the open bus city tour, a river trip, visit one or two of the many museums, the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.  The Jane Austen Centre and Sally Lunn's refreshment House were popular destinations for many Associates.  The latter is of course home to the famous Sally Lunn Buns (a type of teacake) which have long been baked in Bath.  Not to be confused with "Bath Buns" which are smaller, round and very sweet.

At 2.00 pm nine Associates gathered at Pulteney Bridge for the canal walk.  Passing over the bridge we waved farewell to other Associates taking a leisurely return river trip to the hotel.  Along Great Pulteney Street and skirting the Holbourne Museum we made an easy pace up and then down to the canal path.  A walk of about one and a half miles along the towpath brought us to Batheaston where we left the canal and took the road over the River Avon, across the toll bridge and up a short climb to the road leading to the hotel.  A pub suddenly presented itself and no invitation was necessary for us to enter and partake of some local brews.

The highlight of our second day was the walking city tour by one of the Mayor's Guides.  Bob, our guide met us at 2.15pm by the Roman Baths and for two hours transported us through the origins, history and heyday of the Georgian period.  Starting close by at the brass plaque in the road signifying the UNESCO World Heritage Site he led us on a journey of Bath discovery that only the true Bath aficionado can impart.
Through well-known streets and by-ways we learned of the entrepreneurs who developed the town in the 18th and 19th centuries when Bath was the marriage market of England; and today forms the backdrop to films such as "Vanity Fai" and "The Duchess".
Halfway through we arrived at the wonderful vista of The Royal Crescent designed by John Wood the younger and then passed on to The Circus designed by John Wood the elder.  Bob told of two interesting facts regarding these properties; firstly the front doors to each house are wider than we would expect in order that a Sedan Chair can enter the hallway and collect their passenger - no aristocrat was going to soil their fine shoes and clothes on the Bath mud!  Secondly, while the fronts are perfectly uniform and symmetrical, the rear is a mixture of differing roof heights, projections and windows.  This "Queen Anne fronts and Mary-Anne backs" style of architecture occurs repeatedly in Bath.

Finally Bob led us back to Pulteney Bridge where we said our farewells and returned to the hotel by bus and river boat.

The following day we made our departures for home reflecting on pleasant days in the City of Bath and the company of fellow Associates.
To make a parody of a quotation by the famous Dr. Johnson: "when one is tired of Bath, one is tired of life".

Peter Nel

(ph  20/10/2011)

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