Bath, Somerset

Bath (RP:, locally [baθ]) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and was later listed as one of the "Great Spa Towns of Europe". Bath is situated in the valley of the River Avon, 97 miles (156 km) west of London and 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Bristol, and is the largest city and urban settlement in Somerset. At the 2021 census, the population of the city was 94,080. The city became a spa with the Latin name Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") c. 60 AD when the Romans built baths and a temple in the Avon valley, although hot springs were known even before then. Bath Abbey was founded in the 7th century and became a religious centre; the building was rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries. In the 17th century, the spring water was claimed to have curative properties, and Bath became a popular spa town in the Georgian era. Georgian architecture, crafted from Bath stone, includes the Royal Crescent, Circus, Grand Pump Room, and the Assembly Rooms, where Beau Nash presided over the city's social life from 1705 until his death in 1761. Many of the streets and squares were laid out by John Wood, the Elder, and in the 18th century the city became fashionable and the population grew. Further building was undertaken in the 19th century and following the Bath Blitz in World War II. Bath has over six million yearly visitors, which made it the ninth most-visited English city in 2019. Attractions include the spas, canal boat tours, Royal Crescent, Bath Skyline, Parade Gardens, Sydney Gardens and the Royal Victoria Park. Shopping areas include the SouthGate shopping centre, the Corridor arcade among various artisan shops. Bath is also home to theatres including the Theatre Royal, as well as several museums including the Museum of Bath Architecture, the Victoria Art Gallery, the Museum of East Asian Art, the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, the Fashion Museum, and the Holburne Museum. The city has two universities, the University of Bath and Bath Spa University, with Bath College providing further education. Sporting clubs from the city include Bath Rugby and Bath City F.C.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0