BathTime

Roman Baths with Bath Abbey in background

Even with overcast skies, the honey-colored stone of Bath is magical. The Romans settled this area after Julius Caesar conquered Britain, drawn by the only thermal springs in the country. They built the elaborate network of sacred baths, as well as temples to the water goddess Minerva. The British upper crust rediscovered the healing powers of the waters during the 18th century, and Bath became a center for leisure and pleasure, the first true tourist town. Today, tourists come in droves to tour the baths, sip samples of the warm, slightly sulphur-laden water, visit the Georgian houses that local lodger Jane Austen immortalized, and have a banger & a pint.