After an excellent night at El Rincon Latino last night and some tragic late night karaoke, the morning dawned bright. The same cannot be said for me. Still, I made it onto the bus for my tour of Bath, Stonehenge & Winchester. It was well worth the early morning, plus the day turned into a spectacular one.
The tour was excellent and much, much easier than trying to fit it in alone. And much quicker and more convenient than public transport.
Bath
Bath is such a beautiful city and I love the Baths themselves. And while it is the Baths themselves that lend their name to the city, there are many other draw cards than this. They were delightfully and unexpectedly around almost every corner. The city would make for a very romantic weekend getaway but if you don’t have that much time, be sure to at least see:
- The Roman Baths (of course!)
- Bath Abbey
- Royal Crescent
- Pulteney Bridge
Roman Baths
These Roman Baths date from 60-70CE where a temple previously sat on the site. The hot baths were used until the end of Roman rule in Britain, nearly 5 centuries in all. Considering this, the appear to be exceptionally well preserved.
With this in mind, they appear to be exceptionally well preserved.
There are four main areas here to explore: the Roman Temple; the Sacred Spring; the Roman Bath House; and a museum which holds artifacts from Aquae Sulis, the Roman settlement around the site of the baths.
The Temple at Bath was dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva who was both a life giving mother goddess and an agent of curses. This was a place of worship after all and the great altar was the centre piece of ritual focus. In one corner is the Sacred Spring which fed the bathing complex with hot water.
The Sacred Spring not only fed the bathing complex, it was also important to worship in the temple, receiving both sacrifices and curses into its waters. The museum now houses many of these objects.
The Bath House itself was a major focal point for Roman society. At the time, bathing was largely conducted as a social activity and was a common across all social classes. This was likely brought about more from necessity than anything else as only the very wealthy could afford bathing facilities in their homes.
The museum includes thousands of internationally significant artifacts from the site itself and primarily focuses on what these items are able to tell us about the people of Aquae Sulis – those who lived, worked and visited the area of Bath in the Roman times.
Bath Abbey
Founded in the 7th Century as a site for a convent, Bath Abbey was reorganized, repurposed and rebuilt several times throughout its history. In addition, major restorations took place in the 1860’s. It is built of stone in the Perpendicular style of Gothic architecture.
From the outside it is majestic, and is no less so from the inside. I gaze up at the vaults, which look like giant shells set into the ceiling, and the enormous stained glass window behind the altar at the eastern end of the nave. It is remarkably light inside for a church this big and this old. The stained glass is strikingly beautiful.
I take a moment to reflect, feeling the conviction of generations of faith and worship at this site. I have been told we have a family pew here which makes me think of my ancestry and the connections that I may have here. I look but have no luck locating it.
Royal Crescent
Nos. 1 – 30 Royal Crescent, a row of 30 terraced houses, and one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture in the UK. Built between 1767 and 1774 the uniform facade is spectacular to behold, regardless of how many flats the original townhouses may have been made into.
Across the road is the sprawling green lawns of the Royal Crescent park and I understand that the townhouses enjoy lovely private gardens at the rear.
It is not quite enough to stroll along the Crescent and I find myself wishing for a night or two in the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa that occupies No. 16.
Pulteney Bridge
Another famous landmark is Pulteney Bridge, a picturesque bridge lined with shops. Built in 1774, the bridge spans the Avon River and connected the city with the Pulteney family’s land on the other side. The original bridge was damaged by floodwaters and had to be rebuilt early in the next century.
The bridge is one of only four in the world with shops across its full span on both sides (see also Ponte Vecchio, the Rialto Bridge and Krämerbrücke). It’s best for a stroll and snapping a few photos as are the rest of the pretty streets of the city.
The stop here has only just been long enough for a cursory peek at the highlights before we are back on the bus and heading towards Stonehenge.
Stonehenge
Ah, Stonehenge. This is an amazing place. Truly awe inspiring (though perhaps less so the second time around) and skin tingling. I close my eyes and try to conjure a magical feeling – something like I think Claire Fraser would have been feeling (I have recently read Diana Gabaldon’s Cross Stitch) when she traveled through the stones and into the past. Because it is such a nice day or perhaps in spite of it, the site is crawling with people and the moment passes. Perhaps the magic would be easier to sense in less of a crowd.
Even in a crowd it is still rather enchanting. No one knows for sure how the stones got here or why. Theories include magic (of both the good and bad kind) primarily based in folktales, the legendary Merlin and a helpful giant and the Devil. Whoever or whatever is responsible for putting it here, it is clear that significant design, engineering and construction feats were overcome to make it happen. Unless, of course, magic was involved.
And, regardless of how it was constructed, there is still the puzzling question of it was used for. Once again, there are theories including worship, rituals, healing, it has even been studied for its acoustic qualities. Whatever the reason there is only one certainly. That is that great precision was executed in its creation which is evident when the solstices line up with the axis.
At the end of the day, I think I prefer to believe the more romantic notion, that some sort of magic was involved. It makes both the visit and later reflection, more enjoyable.
Once again, we climb back on the bus, although I rather fancy myself riding off across the plains on a horse as a little daydream and distraction on the way to Winchester.
Winchester
Our tour also takes in Winchester, a pretty medieval town in county Hampshire. It is most notable for one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, Winchester Cathedral. Built in the gothic style, it does not, at first, appear overly large. Founded in 642, the site was a originally a monastic settlement. Construction of the present day cathedral began in 1079. Later, when King Henry VIII founded and declared himself head of the Church of England, the majority of monasteries were dissolved and/or surrendered to the King. Many of the monastic buildings were destroyed at the same time.
Inside, and on closer inspection, the cathedral is, quite simply massive. It’s main features are
and a quick walk around the town but that was it. Cute medieval but just as cute as many others.
Good To Know
Bath and Winchester are easily accessible from London by train and/or bus if you have the time. Bus tours to Stonehenge can be accessed from Salisbury. Public transport to Salisbury is available (bus or train).
However, if you are time poor try an organized day tour from London.
Would I Return?
Yes. With more time, I hope.
