Bath

Bath exists because hot water rises from the earth here—the only natural hot springs in Britain. 250,000 gallons flow daily at 46°C, a geological gift the Romans exploited around AD 43. They named the settlement Aquae Sulis ('waters of Sulis') and built baths and a temple to Sulis Minerva whose remains rank among the finest Roman structures north of the Alps.

The city declined after Rome fell but never forgot its waters. Medieval pilgrims sought cures. By the 18th century, three men—architect John Wood the Elder, quarry owner Ralph Allen, and dandy Richard 'Beau' Nash—conspired to remake Bath as the most elegant city in England. Wood designed the Circus (1754) and his son completed the Royal Crescent (1774); Allen supplied honey-colored Bath Stone from his quarries; Nash created the social calendar that drew aristocrats to take the waters.

The result: a planned Georgian city of harmonious crescents and terraces, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987—the only entire city in the UK so honored. In 2021, Bath gained a second inscription as part of 'The Great Spa Towns of Europe.'

Bath's economy pivoted from manufacturing to heritage tourism. Over 5 million visitors now arrive annually, and cultural events contribute over £10 million to the local economy. The Bath International Music Festival, running since 1948, is England's longest-established arts festival.

By 2026, a new World Heritage Management Plan will guide the city through 2030. The challenge: managing tourist pressures on a historic core while maintaining Bath's essential character as a living city, not just a museum.