Virginia Ann was out of her conference on Friday - we were off to a city which she had read about and wanted to
visit - Bath. It was a couple of hours drive from the South Lodge Inn - but worth it.
This is a
picture of the original Roman bath. The Romans first established the city as a spa with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis
('the waters of Sulis') in AD 43, although verbal tradition suggests that Bath was known before
then. They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot
springs. Much later, it became popular as a spa town during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that
left Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone.
Besides the Roman baths there is the Bath Abbey - a beautiful cathedral.
Abbey Church of Saint Peter
and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine
monastery. Founded in the 7th century, Bath Abbey was rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries, major restoration
work was carried out by in the 1860s. It is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in
England.
The cruciform abbey is built of Bath Stone, which gives the exterior its yellow color. The west front, which was
originally constructed in 1520, has a large arched window and detailed carvings.
Detail of the carvings over the main entrance.
Above the window are carvings of angels and to either side long stone ladders with angels climbing up them.
A fountain outside the Bath Abbey
The Bath Abbey nave - very large stained-glass window and majestic ceiling. The nave has five bays, is 211 feet
long and 35 feet wide to the pillars which rise 75 feet.
The ceiling of the Bath Abbey is a fan vault design. A fan vault is a form of vault used in the Gothic style, in
which the ribs are all the same curve and spaced equidistantly. The initiation and propagation of this design
element is strongly associated with England.
One of the chapels in the Bath Abbey.
Stained glass in the Bath Abbey. The building has 52 windows, occupying about 80 percent of the wall space.
Another beautiful window in the Bath Abbey
Pieces from the Roman baths
One of the wall decorations - we liked this one for the hunting scene with the little pup.
A bridge connecting the Roman bath complex.
A pasture near Bath which was so pretty we pulled over to take a snapshot.
Leaving the Bath parking
lot Cal made his one big traffic faux pas in adjusting to driving on the left side the road. He turned left into
oncoming traffic. Fortunately any traffic was a good way off so correcting was easy and embarrassing. Next was a
2 hour drive to the airport to turn in the car and a taxi to the downtown hotel which would be home for the next
week.