Thursday 8 September 2011

Bath - Unesco World Heritage Site


The city of Bath - stunning Georgian architecture with neoclassical Palladian buildings, and nourished by natural hot springs discovered by the Romans. A city made prosperous by the wool industry in the Middle Ages.
Sit back and enjoy these images with only a few interruptions along the way from me.
 Bath Abbey
image via Wikipedia
The Great Roman Bath with the Abbey in the background.
So many people miss seeing these angels. Another of those occasions when it pays to look up. Descending and ascending angels on the heavenly stone ladders to the West front of Bath Abbey.
These terraces are in four sections forming a complete circle around a large grassy area with huge trees in the middle
This doorway shows the original ironwork.  The trumpet shaped metal was used to put flaming torches out by the little boys who ran in front of the sedan chairs. In other words a torch snuffer.
Finish off with a spot of shopping - anyone recognise his carrier bag?
click on any of these images to make larger







12 comments:

  1. Hello Rosemary:
    What a delightful series of images of Bath, made all the more so with your informative and appropriate comment. It is indeed a wonderful city and it is easy to understand why it is so popular not only with tourists, but also as a place in which to live. And what a transformation has taken place over the last fifty years or so. We well remember it in the 1950s when all that lovely, warm Bath stone was black from years of industrial pollution.

    When it comes to the Royal Crescent or The Circus we have always felt that, given the unlikely choice, we should settle for a house in the latter. That circle is so perfect.

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  2. Dear Jane & Lance - I could see you living in the Circus, but alas I don't think you would find another Timea there. The stonework in the Circus is glorious with the various carved motifs and columns with different capitals.

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  3. in Bath i `ve had one of the most beautiful days of my life, Rosemary!
    we were on holiday in Cardiff ( with my husband) and tok a day tour by train to Bath! what a lovley city! the river, the buildings, the flowers! we didn`t visit the roman baths but we found a place called The SanFransisco Fudge Fuctory with the most delicious fudge, and we ate at the Sally Lund rest. the best meal of our lifes! then we joined a street theater, going around the streets of Bath in the evening. a realy funny and interesting experience... ok you get it. I love Bath ! : )

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  4. Ah, another feast :-) Really wonderful pictures. I feel as if I have had a proper tour. And I shall look out for those falling angels next time I go, too!

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  5. Some truly delightful images here Rosemary; I thoroughly enjoyed your tour! The clambering angels are stunning. I’m particularly struck by how authentic that chaps “bumbag” appears, in spite of his dapper period dress!

    Bertie

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  6. Dear Demie - I am so pleased that this post reminded you of a happy day spent in Bath with your husband. You sound as if you fitted lots of things in whilst you were there.

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  7. Dear Kate - I believe the stone carvers skill is really on display with those angels. The jauntiness of the ones going up, and the furtiveness of those slinking down is superb.

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  8. Do you know Bertie, I knew there was something funny about his outfit, but hadn't realised he was wearing a 'bumbag' - thanks for pointing that out. Glad you enjoyed the tour, you must go there now.

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  9. Is that a Bloomsbury carrier bag I see before me? The man works at the Jane Austin shop and I've seen him shopping in full fig at the local Sainsbury's.

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  10. Hello Rosemary - glad he wasn't carrying a Sainsburys bag that day. He has just been to HRH's shop, you can just make out the plume of feathers.

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  11. Dear Rosemary - I've seen many photos of the Royal Crescent, but never details, like the torch trumpet! You've conjured up a wonderful image; I can see that boy ahead of the sedan chair, and he's actually a bit of a waif. And I love the imagination that included angels climbing up a ladder! The fact that the ladder is in front of one of the windows is an especially nice design touch.

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  12. Dear Mark - It is wonderful that details like the torch snuffers have survived. Some of the properties still have the original metal winding gear to which deliveries were attached and sent down into the basements. I love the angels, and it saddens me that people miss them.

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