Bath

On Saturday, Anna and I went on a London Walks daytrip to Bath. It's a really beautiful little city, and is now listed as a World Heritage Site due to its consistent Georgian architecture. Famed for its 3 hot natural springs, it has suffered through a series of unremarkable names over the years - Aquae Sulis (Roman, "the waters of Sulis"), Baðum (Saxon, "at the baths") and now Bath Spa.

The Romans built a fortification and temple complex around the hot springs, dedicated to the goddess Minerva, the goddess of healing.

This fell into disrepair when the Romans abandoned England. The incoming Saxons built a large monstary, and the Normans added a cathedral that was then demolished and built over three times, finally during the Elizabethan period. John Wood the elder and John Wood the younger redeveloped the whole area in the 18th Century, and it took on its final appearance, as retained today.

Jane Austen lived in Bath for 5 years, and wrote two novels set there: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. However, she didn't like the city and left "with what happy feelings of escape". Another famous resident was Sally Lunn, who designed her famous buns here. We tried to buy one at her original house, but the process was too difficult and commercialised. We bought a whopping amount of homemade fudge instead.

All in all, very pleasant. We enjoyed strolling around the cobbled streets looking at the lively shops. The cathedral is a delight, with a very organic feel to the walls and marvellous fanned vaults. The only disappoint was the baths themselves. Although the ruins were interesting, they and the museum were choked with tourists. Yuck.

After a £30 million investment, they have reopened the spas. We intend to come back and have a soak one weekend.