Keen for a weekend away we jumped a train to Bath. Joining us on our adventure were fellow New Zealanders, Jess and Leighton and our resident Bathonian travel buddy, Holly.
Bath is steeped with ancient history. It was first established as a spa resort by the Romans in AD 43 who took full advantage of the UK's only naturally occurring hot springs.
The must see attraction in Bath is the old Roman Baths. The complex is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing. What started off as a temple between 60-70 AD gradually built up over the next 300 years. When the Romans ruled the roost bathing was hugely social and with a hot bath, warm bath and cold bath (the frigidarium) on offer they knew what they were doing.
When the Romans left in the 5th century the things went down hill and the baths fell into disrepair and were eventually "lost" due to silting up.
Audio tours are the norm so we hired some phones and set off around the baths. Type the number on the wall into your phone and it tells you all about what you're looking at. Dan and Jess really liked the phones.
Brilliantly Bath is a World Heritage Site and the architecture is superb. All of the buildings are made out of bath stone which gives the city a unique honey colouring.
Bath has an impressive looking Abbey however there is just no pleasing some people.
By this time we were thinking Roman Baths, architecture, funky stone, arguably impressive Abby, what else can Bath conjour up? Then we discovered the canals and locks.
With the dream of owning a home in Bath beyond the reach of the average Joe, we think more people should take to the water. After the initial setup fee of buying the boat (a fraction of the price you'd pay for a house) all you have to do is pay for a mooring. The locks are easily navigated so if you don't like your neighbours you can up-anchor AND technically you're a Skipper!
No trip to Bath is complete without a staunch photo next to a canal.
Leighton is easily lost but luckily he isn't afraid to ask for directions.
Random Fact: There are large statues of pigs all over Bath. Curious, we decided to get to the bottom of Bathonians love for the swine. Legend has it that Bladud, king of the Britons contracted leprosy in Athens. When he returned home he was locked up as a result but being cunning he escaped and went into hiding. Working as a swineherd just outside of Bath he noticed his pigs would go into a moor in cold weather and return covered in black mud. Being a good swineherd he found that the mud was warm and that they did it to enjoy the heat. Bladud tried covering himself in the mud bath and found that it cured his leprosy. He was promptly restored to his position as heir-apparent to his father and founded Bath so that others might also benefit.
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