"Named for the Romans" a Bath Travel Page by hindu1936

Bath is 97 miles west of London and 13 miles south-east of Bristol. It was first granted city status by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590. The city was founded in the valley of the River Avon around the only naturally occurring hot springs in the United Kingdom, and is where the Romans built baths and a temple. The Romans named it Aquae Sulis. Edgar who was the first King of England was crowned at Bath Abbey in 973.
Bath became a World Heritage Site in 1987. There are many theaters, shopping centers, museums and galleries that have turned it into the typical tourist attraction where every restaurant, souvenir shop, and hotel charges 5 star prices for 2 star food, lodging and service. More 3.8 million day tourists visit the city each year.

The Royal Crescent in Bath is marked as the best example of Georgian architecture in England and is included in the tour bus route but better seen from the hot air ballon. (book your ride for the morning when the winds take you dead over the city).

There are two great ways to see the city: 1. take a tour bus. 2. go for a ride in a hot air balloon. The tour buses are cheap, the guides knowledgable, and the scenery great. Bath is a city of nearly 2000 years. The Romans first settled here to build forts across the frontier with Wales. Many of the Roman ruins are still visible as are some bridges, monuments and buildings. They were not the first though, so the visitor should be aware of a history much older than the Roman period.

The history of Bath did not begin with the Roman invasion of England. Legend purports that Bath was founded by the eldest son of the Celtic King Lud, Bladud, who was also rumored to be the father of King Lear. When he was a young man, Bladud contracted leprosy, and ran to the wilderness to raise pigs. This provided the towns of Swineford and Swainswick with their names. The plot, or mud thickens. Bladud noticed his pigs coming home covered with mud, but daily gaining in health, so he followed them and found the hot springs. Because his pigs were getting well, Bladud decided to wallow in the mud himself and soon was cured of leprosy. For this great gift he built a temple to the Celtic goddess Sul at the site of the spring and opened the the town to tourists. The vast fortunes he made overcharging the visitors attracted the Romans and they moved in, built a marble temple and bath and charged more money. Today, the city of Bath augments the UK national treasury, funds trips to Mars, feeds all of sub-Sahara Africa, and is planning a cross Atlantic highway funded with the fees they charge to see the baths. One however, does not have to submit to extortion.
There are other things to see. Five hillforts have been found on the nearby hilltops of Lansdown and Solsbury Hill. .