The central core of the Guildhall, Bath, dates from the first half of the 18th century, and down the steps on the other side of this photo, condemned men were taken down to die on the scaffold a few feet away from where I now buy my nice cakes.
Turn around, and you will see the only surviving medieval gate of the city - East Gate. It leads to the river, and all water-borne goods and travelers arrived here - including smuggled goods from the Severn Estuary, gateway to the High Seas.
Just about 100 feet away is where H.I. and I live, perched right on the foundations of the eastern wall of the approach to the city. This includes the only surviving remains of the medieval wall (about 50 feet) which was not knocked down by the Georgians.Georgian Bath is about 15 feet higher than the earlier city, as you can see from these pictures.
I will soon travel the underground passages once owned by a famous Bath musical vendor who has just gone bankrupt after 170 years of trading. These tunnels are 20 feet away from where I now write.
How lucky I am.
Don't get lost down there!
ReplyDeleteI sprinkle bread-crumbs down behind me, so I can find my way out. What could possibly go wrong? (er... rats?)
ReplyDeletewhat cakes do you buy thomas?
ReplyDeleteI think you are a battenberg type of guy?
Ooh - I love Battenberg (or Saxe-Coburg-Windsor as we must now call it). I like dry cakes, John. I can't be doing with wet stuff like Rum Bah-Bahs, like you lot eat up there in Wales.
ReplyDeleteYes. How lucky you are to be living is such a beautiful historic place.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful place with a chilling past! I think of Marie Anntoinette's statement, "let them eat cake" ...and THEN what happened to them???
ReplyDeleteLove the Guildhall. Don't love the dustbins, public bog (?), car park, painted white lines, etc. I'm trying to picture that classic Georgian building with all the crud removed. Shame!
ReplyDeleteAre they giving tunnel tours?
ReplyDeleteI was going to take this post down because I woke up this morning thinking how boring it was, then I saw your comments, so I'llleave it up and try to do better next time.
ReplyDeleteThey occasionally give tunnel tours, Iris, but they don't publicize them and you have to book about 6 months (or something) in advance.
The bloody council that occupy that building are a bunch of self-serving b******s that couldn't give a shit about the white lines and rubbish unless they can make money out of it, Cro. The latest batch of councillors are responsible for coming very close to losing Bath's status as a World Heritage site, and and preventing Sir James Dyson from building the most influential academy of industrial design in Europe, right here in Bath. He spent about £3 million of his own money on the initial plans, and was prepared to put about another £30 million to set it up, but was blocked by Bath City Council (with the help of central government) purely for reasons of personality. The money he had set aside for this project has now been alloted to the Royal College in London, and Bath will never have this opportunity again. That's how absolutely FUCKING STUPID they are.
Notice how I abandoned the use of asterixs as I went on and lost my temper with those fools who occupy the guildhall...
ReplyDeleteI only visit Bath for shopping, theatre, restaurants, dentist and hospital appointments so am not familiar with the city's more discreet charms. I suppose you have to actually live somewhere and explore it properly to 'know' a place.
ReplyDeleteDo you manage to pack in engagements to all of them in one trip, Sue? You must get knackered!
ReplyDelete