Things to know about the Beautiful City of Bath

Here at Bath Business Web Ltd we do like to know about the fine City of Bath which we work in. It always helps wit the local pub quiz or just impressing our friends at parties. So I have listed a few little gems about Bath, its history and some of its peoples, past and present

• Archaeological evidence suggests there was human activity around the hot springs on which the great City of Bath is built at least 8,000 years B.C
• According to legend, Prince Bladud was cured of leprosy after bathing in the hot muddy water in 863 B.C. He had been banned from court and was here looking after pigs (nice work if you can get it)
• Before even the Romans arrived, the hot springs were a spot held sacred by the Celts. They believed that the spring waters was the work of the deity Sul or Sulis, the Celtic goddess associated with fertility and healing
• Aqua Sulis, was the name given by the Romans sometime in the AD 60s and about 20 years after they had conquered Britain in AD43
• In the 9th century the old Roman streets had started to disappear. Bath had become a Royal possession and by order of King Alfred the Great, who reigned from 871 - 899, the town was laid out afresh
• In 959 Edgar was crowned King of England at Bath Abbey
• In 1590 Queen Elizabeth I awarded Bath a Royal Charter, which meant life free from Royal control
• During the English Civil War (1642–1651) the City of Bath was garrisoned and fortified for Charles I. However, when the parliamentary forces arrived at the gates, the city surrendered. It was retaken by royalists following the Battle of Lansdowne in 1643
• Somewhere between 1740 and 1745 No. 7 Pierrepont Street, now business offices of our very own Bath Business Web Ltd, were designed and built by Architect John Wood the Elder. He described them as “a row of fifth rated houses of the grander sort” (bless him)
• Early 18th century Bath had its first purpose built theatre, The Old Orchard Street Theatre
• In 1785 Stothert & Pitt established an engineering company in Bath creating an important manufacturing sector for the region. They built cast iron Dock cranes or construction plant products as well as items for household use until their closure in 1989
• In 1801 the population of Bath had reached 40,020 making one of the largest cities in Britain
• In the early 1850's Bath like many large towns in the UK had horse drawn Trams operating in the City. They were then followed by electric Trams until their demise in 1939
• In April 1942 Bath suffered 3 air raids in reprisal for RAF raids on German cities. The Germans targeted picturesque cities, which were reputedly selected from the German Baedeker Tourist Guide to Britain. Over 400 people were killed and more than 19,000 buildings in Bath were damaged or destroyed in the Bath blitz
• In the 1950’s a post-war review of inadequate housing led to the clearance and redevelopment. The nearby villages of Combe Down, Twerton and Weston were incorporated into Bath to enable the development of further housing
• In 1987 the City of Bath was inscribed as a World Heritage Site
• In 2012 a hoard of 30,000 silver Roman coins, (3rd century) were found near the Baths
• The hot springs in Bath are the only ones naturally occurring in the UK
• The City of Bath is in the valley of the River Avon and surrounded by 7 hills (as is Rome)
• Each year Bath hosts 3.8 million day visitors and well over 1 million visitors stay in the city
• Many famous people who have been born here, visited or made it their home…

• A Bathonian is somebody who comes from the City of Bath
• The City of Bath is widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful cities in the UK
• Bath has a population of 176,000 + and is situated 97 miles (156 km) from London
• And finally did you know it is the Jane Austen Festival starting this weekend? 2013 is the 200th Anniversary of the first publication of Pride & Prejudice. Bath will be celebrating with concerts, etiquette lessons, dancing lessons, workshops, how to dress Regency on a budget, walks to Sydney Pleasure Gardens and other such places. Breakfasts and talks in Regency Town House. Regency Costume Fashion Show. And a rather grand costume promenade through the streets of Bath

 

Hope you learnt something new from things to know about the Beautiful City of Bath

 

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd