Day 7 - Bath

After spending the night in Cheltenham, we started day 7 touring the ancient city of Bath and its Roman sites and then going on to visit Stonehenge.
Driving out of Cheltenham Bath is known for its Georgian architecture with long terraces of townhouses. Bath was originally established around 60 AD as a spa called Aquae Sulis Gardens on the way to Victoria Park and the Royal Crescent.
We saw many beautiful flower gardens in this part of England This is the Royal Crescent, a curved terrace of 30 residences in Bath built 1767 - 1774. Today, this mostly houses a hotel, a museum and offices, though a number of people still live here. This tea room was established in the 1930s by Marie Byng-Johnson. The Sally Lunn Eating House, originally part of the Duke of Kingsont's house in 1480.
20130827-103321 dsc 5347 The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, AKA Bath Abbey. The site was originally established as a convent in 675. Construction as a major cathedral started around 1090. 20130827-125240 dsc 5414
The original fan vaulting was designed by Robert and William Vertue. The current vaulting is a reconstruction by Gorge Gilbert Scott, based on the original design. The current church is the result of many cycles of restoration, the last of which was in the 1860s 20130827-125226 dsc 5413 20130827-125308 dsc 5415
Seen in the courtyard of the Abbey Rotunda of thet main entrance to the museum of the Roman Baths Rotunda ceiling Map of the site
The Great Bath One of the statues surrouding the Great Bath 20130827-105920 dsc 5360 20130827-105725 p1000570
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The King's Bath The Sacred Spring Legendary king of the Britons, King Bladud overlooking the King's bath. He supposely founded Bath around 500 BC and created the hot springs using magic. 20130827-112738 dsc 5375
20130827-112811 dsc 5377 20130827-113022 dsc 5379 In Legend the city of Bath was dedicated by King Bladud to the goddess Athena or Minerva Underground hot springs
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Remains of a caldarium, or hot bath. The floor of the bath sat on top of these stacks of blocks ("Pilae stacks",) and hot air from fires was routed through the resulting space, called a hypocaust, which heated the floor of the bath. 20130827-115354 dsc 5395 The Circular Bath Andrea by the Great Bath, talking with museum staff
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20130827-120741 dsc 5409 Lunch at Sally Lunn's 20130827-122252 dsc 5410 On the way out of Bath
Bath from the road, showing a good view of Georgian terraces with the St Saviors Church in the middle Westbury white horse - the oldest of the Wiltshire chalk horses, estimated to have been originally created over 300 years ago. This area is used for military manouvers Countryside farm land as we approach Stonehenge