A Day in Bath

It was evening by the time we checked into Lindisfarne Guest House in Bath on 15 August. Lindisfarne which is a house set in gardens just by the road side in a village in Bathampton. The Guest House is a mere 1.5 miles from Bath city centre. Bath is a city in Somerset, southwest of England.

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Even though we had a car, we were advised not to drive to Bath city because of the high parking charge. Instead we took a cab to the city centre.

Bath, declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 attracts almost 4 million day visitors and 1 million staying visitors each year.

This city was made famous because of the hot springs discovered. In AD 60, the city became a Spa when the Romans built baths and a temple here.

We took the double-decker bus city tour which proved to be a good and fast way of getting to know the history and appreciating the beauty of this city.

Charging high parking rate proves to be a good move for a city that thrives on tourism. With lesser cars that jammed up the city, tourists can move around with much ease and less risk.

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We took a tour of the Abby Church of St. Peter and St. Paul commonly called Bath Abby. The church is cruciform in plan and has a seating capacity of 1,200. It is used for religious services, secular civic ceremonies, concerts and lectures. A wedding ceremony had just been held at the time of our visit.

 

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Avon River traverses through Bath city. A river cruise along this river allowed us to see another side of Bath.

 

This old bridge across Avon River reminded me of the old London Bridge where a row of buildings is erected on one side of it. These units are small barely sufficient to serve as souvenir shops and eating places catering for the tourists.

Inside the boat and when I looked up, my spine chilled when I surveyed some of these units that are perched precariously on cantilever! The builders or engineers of yester-years proved to be competent. Somehow their structures defy gravity and stand intact over time.