What a beautiful town. I managed to find the ancient Roman baths and spent about 2 hours exploring this site. The first shrine on this site was built by the Celts to the Goddess Sulis (who the Romans called Minerva). The name Sulis was conserved by the Romans, with them calling the town Aquae Sulis. The first temple was built in 60 – 70 AD and the bathing complex was bulit up over the next 300 years. Of course it fell into disrepair with the fall of the Roman Empire. The spring is now housed in 18th century buildings. The baths themselves are heated by geo-thermal activity and reach around 46°.
Sulis Minerva
There is an impressive array of Roman artefacts around the site, including “curses” inscribed on lead. These were written to the goddess Sulis Minerva to ask for punishment on those who had, for example, stolen people’s clothes while they were bathing.
After visiting the baths I went and had lunch at the famous “Sally Lunn’s.” Sally Lunn was a young French refugee who arrived in England in the 1700s. She baked a rich, round and generous bun now known as the “Sally Lunn Bun.” It is somewhat the texture of a brioche. This bun became a very popular delicacy in Georgian England as its special taste and lightness allowed it to be enjoyed with either sweet of savoury accompaniments. I had a savoury version with salad and bacon, washed down with a very nice ginger beer.
Next I explored the Bath Abbey, which was very impressive. It had memorials to Isaac Pitman (the inventor of shorthand) and Captain Arthur Phillip who died in Bath.
Finally I wandered toward the river to see the Pulteney Bridge (completed in 1774) which spans the river Avon. The bridge features shops along the edge, forming a narrow street.
After a very enjoyable day, I hopped back on the train to head back to Birmingham.
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