Interesting Facts

It was in 1702 that Queen Anne made the trip from London to the mineral springs of Bath. It was this trek that launched the fad that would make the city the most illustrious spa in all of England.
One of Europe's most prestigious international festivals of music and the arts, the Bath International Music Festival is held each year in late May and early June. The city is filled with more than 1000 performers for more than 17 days.
The Baths were founded in 75 AD by the Romans and were dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva. Today, they're among the finest Roman remains in the country and are still fed by Britain's most famous hot spring water.
The American Museum is nearby and occupies the early nineteenth century Claverton Manor, which is where Winston Churchill made his maiden political speech in 1897. This was the first American museum established outside the United States and gives an idea as to what life was like prior to the mid-1800's in America. The exhibit includes an early American beehive oven and a copy of Washington's flower garden at Mount Vernon. You can even taste some gingerbread baked from Washington's mother's recipe.
Visitors have been eating at Sally Lunn's house for more than 1700 years. Try the delicious Fantastic Sally Lunn Cream Tea. It includes toasted and buttered scones, served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, coffee, or tea.
Bath ranks as one of Britain's top ten tourist cities. Perhaps its popularity is due in part to the Baths. They are, after all, the busiest fee-charging historic site outside of London.
Perhaps the most famous name connected with Bath is Richard "Beau" Nash. This eighteenth century ex-Army officer, ex-lawyer, dandy, and gambler became the Master of Ceremonies in 1704. He conducted public balls, designated the social manners of the city, and even managed to work his clout into road improvements and the design of buildings. He banned smoking in Bath's public rooms when pipe smoking by men, women, and children was perfectly acceptable. He lived in Bath until his death at the age of 87.
Bath Abbey was built between 1499 and 1616 and was the last great medieval church raised in England. Built from more glass than stone, the church boasts 640 wall monuments, which the second largest collection after Westminster Abbey. The most striking feature of the Abbey's exterior is the west façade, where angels climb up and down stone ladders commemorating a dream by the founder, Bishop Oliver King.
Despite the fact that Bath is a sprawling city, the center is compact and easy to navigate on foot. This is good news as Bath has a bad traffic problem and parking is a difficult task to undertake.
Much of the magnificent eighteenth century architecture remains exactly as Jane Austen once saw it. Her novels, "Persuasion" and "Northanger Abbey," are associated with Bath, the city she frequented often during her youth.