Bath, Somerset

Bath

Pulteney Bridge

York Street, south to The Roman Baths
Map of Somerset, with a red dot showing the position of Bath in the north east corner
Map of Somerset, with a red dot showing the position of Bath in the north east corner
Bath
Location within Somerset
Population88,859 [1]
DemonymBathonian
OS grid referenceST750645
• London97 miles (156 km) E
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBATH
Postcode districtBA1, BA2
Dialling code01225
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
Official nameCity of Bath
CriteriaCultural: i, ii, iv
Reference428
Inscription1987 (11th Session)
Area2,900 ha
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°23′N 2°22′W / 51.38°N 2.36°W / 51.38; -2.36

Bath is a city in the county of Somerset in England. It is 97 miles (156 km) west of London, and 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Bristol.

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[2] The city has preserved some of its Roman remains and its 18th century architecture.

History

The city gets its name from the famous Roman baths in the town. The Romans built the baths as part of a spa, in the year 43 BC. They called it Aquae Sulis, which means "The waters of Sulis". Sulis was a local goddess.[2]

During the Middle Ages, it was an important city for buying and selling wool.[2]

Bath became a city in 1585, when Queen Elizabeth I declared it to be one.

Bath has two universities and several schools and colleges.

Bath is where Roald Dahl's short story "The Landlady" takes place. The city is also mentioned in many of Jane Austen's books, like Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice.

Wide image of a symmetrical semicircular terrace of yellow stone buildings. Grass in the foreground.
A panoramic view of the Royal Crescent
Pulteney Bridge in Bath, designed by Robert Adam. It is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops on both sides.
  • Pulteney Bridge by Robert Adam
    Pulteney Bridge by Robert Adam
  • Aerial view of Royal Crescent at Bath
    Aerial view of Royal Crescent at Bath

References

  1. ↑ Bath is a constituency and unparished area; at the time of the 2011 census the city was exactly co-extensive with 16 wards https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/asv2htm.aspx Archived 30 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 UNESCO, "City of Bath"; retrieved 2012-4-19.

Other websites