Bath became a city by Elizabeth I granting it a Royal Charter in 1590. From a population of around 3,000 in the early 17th century, but the early 18th century the city had grown to around 30,000; with speculative development through the 18th century, focussed on the healing waters of "the waters" from the natural springs, the population continued to thrive, and was particularly popular with aristocracy visiting. Today's population of around 84,000 is regularly swelled by tourists, with Bath being the second most visited city in England, after London.
During the mid to late 18th century, the architects John Wood the elder and his son John Wood the younger laid out the new quarters in streets and squares, the identical façades of which gave an impression of palatial scale and classical decorum; together, they were responsible for Queen Square, The Circus, and the Royal Crescent.
Our first stop was the famous Royal Crescent (above), built in the Georgian period as a masterpiece of design. The façade was planned and structured, but each of the 30 houses that make up the crescent were built individually, so that the interior and rear of each property is individual.
After the Royal Crescent, together with Jenny Leggo (with whom we are staying) we visited the Buildings of Bath Exhibition, which is a wonderful display of the buildings of bath, and the Georgian architecture. We then spent a lovely few hours just roaming the city, which was a nice way to see the city without any agenda, particularly on a lovely English Spring day.
And finally, back to the house for dinner with Jenny and Craig.