Bath, England
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Our coach trip today takes us to visit Bath, a ancient town famous for the Roman Baths among other things. We drove through the countryside
to reach Bath where we overlooked the city before entering the streets themselves. The buildings were all quite similar, tall and built of stone
which has been cleaned over the last years to return the original look to the town. The character of the town has been retained and the cobblestoned streets
add to the atmosphere.
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Arriving at The Roman Baths we stopped near a huge 16th century Abbey, that appears to be built on the site of earlier cathedrals and possibly a Pagan Temple as well. A singer
was busking in the front of the building and entertaining the crowds. The doorway that led to the Baths seemed quite ordinary but as we entered
we discovered there was much more to see. After going through the entry foyer, we came to the centrepiece of the baths, a large
pool which was used for bathing in Roman Times. The complex is today about 15ft below the street level and it is thought
that there are many more Roman ruins underneath the whole of Bath. The bath itself is 1.6 metres deep and has steps into it on all sides. There are areas
around the pool for people to relax and enjoy the healthy activity of bathing.
An important point to mention is that there is a Sacred Spring where hot water is at a temperature of 460C. It rises here at the rate of 1,170,000 litres (240,000 gallons) every day
and has been doing this for thousands of years. There is no known reason for this phenomenon so it was believed to be the work of the Gods.
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Looking up we saw The Terrace which overlooks the Great Bath. There are statues of Roman Governors of Britain,
Emperors and military leaders and date back to 1894 sometime before the grand opening of the Roman Baths in 1897.
Exploring the whole of the site is amazing as underground there are many foundations that have been excavated and
there are many items on display to help with the history of this incredible place.
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