Shot! Bath, Somerset
Soaking up the sights in Britain’s most photogenic city
I’ve been to Bath once before, many years ago, so a return trip was long on the agenda. With lockdown easing, it was one of the first places I wanted to visit. It’s such a photogenic city, there are photo opportunities quite literally around every corner. Indeed, one has to be sparing on what to shoot in order to focus on the most interesting and most deserving subject matter.
While this is a photographic impression of what I got to see, I only spent an afternoon there in July at a time where much of the city’s attractions were either closed or operating under strict Covid-19 protocols.
First up, some history.
From 750 BC onwards, the Celts knew the place as Sulis, named after the Goddess Sulis Minerva, a local water deity. Than as now, it is home to the only hot springs in the UK.
After the Roman’s invaded Britain in 43 AD, they arrived in Sulis around 60 AD. Here, as well as upgrading the roads, they built the famous Baths as well as a Temple. The Romans called the new town Aqua Sulis, meaning “the waters of Sulis”.
By the 16th century Aqua Sulis had become Bath. In 1590, Queen Elizabeth I granted it a royal charter, so it became the City of Bath.
But it wasn’t until the 18th century that Bath really came into its own, when those in Georgian society came to Bath to “take the waters”, and the city found itself fashionable on the social circuit.
It was around this time that Bath’s iconic architectural ensembles, the Royal Crescent and the Circus took shape.
Today, some 500 of its buildings are considered of historical or architectural importance — so important, in fact, that in 1987 Bath was granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO, one of only a handful of such locations in the UK. And it’s its stunning Georgian architecture that really sets Bath apart.
Arriving in the city, the first impression you get is just how different it is from almost anywhere else in Britain. In the centre, most of it is old, with few examples of modern architecture. But what strikes you most is how cohesive everything feels.
Everything is homogeneous: the style and colour of the buildings, the symmetry of the streets and building heights. All that is intentional because just like Paris, Bath is a planned city. And what a beauty it is, with almost every building being built from Bath stone. Quarried around the city, this oolitic limestone with its warm honey gold tone, is an intrinsic part of Bath’s character.
Equally distinctive, you notice all the street signs are different from other cities. Look closer and you’ll see the original 18th century street names are actually incised in stone, while the smaller late 19th century street names are hand painted. Both almost always appear writ large in small caps: uppercase letterforms that are shorter in height than the capitals. Repairing and reinstating these historic street signs began in 2010, and has remained an ongoing programme ever since.
Of all the cities close to England’s south coast, this is the only one where you feel you’re somewhere totally different. Its abundance of wonderful architecture appears to be untouched and unchanged. What’s more, there is no evidence of the poverty or economic hardship one sees elsewhere. Bath oozes prosperity, be it in its buildings, its public spaces and especially in the condition of its public realm. There’s no sign of graffiti, few empty shops and everything looks extremely well-kept.
My exploration started with the stunning Bath Abbey, where the first King of England was crowned. For me, this was a hidden gem. I’ve been to cathedrals all across the country and abroad, and whilst this was not especially big or particularly grand, I think it must rank as one of the most beautiful.
A shining piece of Perpendicular Gothic architecture, Bath Abbey is mostly from the late-Middle Ages. However, it was extensively reworked during the 1860s by prolific English Gothic revival architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott.
Most captivating of all is the Abbey’s delicate fan vaulting. In the 15th century, this was only in the choir and was the work of master stonemasons Robert and William Vertue. However, when George Gilbert Scott carried out his restoration he added fan vaulting to the nave, in line with the intentions of the 15th-century Bishop of Bath and Wells, Oliver King.
My eyes were drawn to the huge red gilded chandeliers which were set off beautifully by the intricate stone ceiling.
While much of the Abbey was closed off for another major restoration project, I could easily have spent longer there just to take in all the fascinating features, but we had an appointment at the Roman Baths next door.
By appointment, I mean a timed entry into Bath’s most popular attraction. Although I’d been there before, it was so long ago I didn’t remember much about it.
In truth, it was the biggest disappointment of my visit. There’s really very little to see and because of Covid protocols, you find yourself in one long slow-moving queue from start to finish, shuffling a few paces a time along a one-way route.
It may well be considered among the finest examples of Roman architecture remaining in England and, in normal times, it attracts more than a million visitors each year, but I don’t really know why it’s so popular. Apart from a couple of costumed actors, I really don’t think they’ve done as good a job as they could have in telling the story or presenting the artefacts. If you ask me, it’s not worth investing either the time or the money to see it.
After spending too long in line, I headed to the open space of Parade Gardens. Situated alongside the river Avon, this was a very pleasant spot for an impromptu picnic lunch and a chance to photograph a couple of interesting things. First, a familiar statue, then an iconic bridge.
The bronze sculpture of the angel of peace holding an olive branch (the symbol of peace) in one hand and an orb (the symbol of sovereignty) in the other looked like something I’d seen before. And it was. Sculpted by English sculptor and medallist, Newbury Abbot Trent, there are apparently many similar versions of The Peacemaker all over the UK, including one close to me on the boundary of Brighton and Hove.
From Parade Gardens you get a wonderful view of Pulteney Bridge. Built from Bath’s signature limestone, it’s the work of Scottish architect Robert Adam. Completed in 1774 to connect central Bath to undeveloped land on the opposite side of the River Avon, it’s one of only a handful of bridges still standing with buildings atop them — there are rows of shops along its 45-metre span.
Not surprisingly, it’s also one of Bath’s most photographed monuments and even made an appearance in the film version of Les Misérables.
Downriver from the bridge is an interesting looking weir. Constructed between 1968 and 1972, Crescent Weir is part of Bath’s flood-prevention scheme.
We had wanted to eat at Bath’s oldest tea shop, Sally Lunn’s which dates from 1482, but like so many places we tried, it was closed because of Covid. We were eager to to sample an authentic Bath bun, but couldn’t find them anywhere, so a chicken salad and a cider from M&S had to do.
From the park it was a meandering walk that took in Bath’s most prestigious shopping street, Milsom Street. Developed between 1761 and 1783 by Thomas Lightholder, the ground floor of the townhouses were converted to shops in 1803.
The street, which got its name from Daniel Milsom a school master and member of the Corporation who leased the last strip of untouched land between the old town and the new architecture on the hill, was made famous by Jane Austen who mentioned it in two of her novels: Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.
Milsom Street contains many interesting buildings, which over the years have changed occupants, but for the most part still look much as they ever did. The front of the public lending library, for example, is still visible, one of many ‘ghost signs’ that can be seen around this historic city.
Next we headed to the first of two of Bath’s great set-pieces: the Circus. This circular development, now Grade I listed, was drawn up by John Wood, the Elder and completed in 1768.
Above the doorways of the townhouses, there are Masonic symbols of serpents, books, flowers and tools. Some believe The Circus is meant to represent the sun, while the Royal Crescent is the moon.
The Circus is a few steps east of the Royal Crescent and predates its neighbour, which is arguably the most iconic image of Bath.
Wood, the Elder died within months of the Royal Crescent’s first stone being laid, and his son John Wood, the Younger took over the project.
This monumental 500 foot long semi-circular sweep of 30 townhouses with a breathtakingly uniform, palace-like façade, was constructed from 1767 to 1774. Quite rightly, it’s now considered the finest example of Georgian architecture in the UK.
The houses’ first and second-storey windows are framed vertically by Ionic pilasters and the entire terrace is crowned with a balustrade. Today, at the mid-point of the crescent, you’ll find the Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa.
With the exception of cars, Royal Crescent appears to be almost unchanged since it was built over 250 years ago. Talking of cars, some of those parked there were also a little bit special, none more so than a Ferrari 412.
Styled by Leonardo Fioravanti of Pininfarina, the 2+2 412 was introduced in 1984. 576 cars were produced over five years. This particular example is one of the last, being registered in January 1989.
One of the most striking things about Bath is that it’s built in a valley bounded by high limestone slopes that rise to a maximum 238 metres. Naturally, there is an urge to see it from above.
With time against us, we headed back to the car and — thanks to Google — drove a short distance away from the centre to the Bath Skyline, a six-mile looped trail that runs along the ridge above the city and is run by the National Trust.
To be honest, as nice as they were, the views weren’t quite as spectacular as I had hoped. I think that’s because the best way to appreciate Bath is at ground level. Being there during Covid meant the city was far less crowded than it usually would be, with significantly less tourists. With fewer than 90,000 residents, Bath is a relatively small city. It may be small, but it is perfectly formed.
I’ll be back soon as there’s so much more to explore. The more you learn about its storied past, the more interesting the place becomes.
As long ago as 1806, they were extolling the artistic merits of Bath:
“Perhaps no city in the kingdom could be so proper for the purpose of picturesque illustration as that of Bath and its environs. The variety and beauty of its scenery is almost infinite; it unites some of the finest specimens of modern buildings with the splendid remains of antiquity.”
When it was named a world heritage site in 1987, it was lauded as “a masterpiece of human creative genius.”
All I know is if there’s a more photogenic city in England, I’ve yet to find it!
Behind the shot: The majority of these images were taken with the iPhone 8 Plus and I have to say the quality of the shots it delivers continues to impress me so much that I’m using it way more than my trusty Olympus OM-D E-M1. In fact, it’s so good I find it hard to tell the difference. I’m really pleased with my images, especially how painterly they look. Shot in Bath on 21 July 2020.
About the author: Based in Sussex-by-the-Sea, on England’s south coast, Gary is a creative writer and image-maker. He specialises in out of the ordinary portraits of musicians and people with interesting faces, as well as photographing some of the world’s finest flowers and gardens.
