The Mineral Water Hospital (still going after all these years) and the last remaining stretch of medieval wall left in Bath.
Just on the other side of it was the 18th century cemetery for those who did not make it back out again on their own two feet. I hope they didn't just chuck them over the wall.
1343 - The Plague reached the Crimea, carried from ships by rats, who - in turn - carried the fleas which carried the plague.
More on the wall, please. Who is responsible for maintaining the stretch? I see metal guards are inserted to mitigate damage from running rain water. Are they original? How is the wall repaired when required? That's a lot of tuck pointing.
ReplyDeleteThe city is responsible, and use stone conservation companies. There is the occasional bit of lead set in to throw off the rainwater, and no, they are not original. Every now and then, the wall is re-pointed using a lime mortar, and a lime-wash.
DeleteAn interesting idea; to close a cemetery, to preserve the health of the living. Hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteHave just been reading about superbug which we might pick up from lettuce and raspberries ???
ReplyDeleteso this post was a bit near the bone for me today Tom.
Dear Tom,
ReplyDelete"from regard for the health of the living" - that's attentive; were it mineral baths the sick were taking - or drinking mineral water as in Carlsbad? Coming from how deep?
The water was never supposed to be drunk, but people still do - it tastes foul. Not sure how deep, and nobody is really sure how it gets heated. It probably starts as rain in the Mendip Hills, then somehow finds it's way here getting hot on the way. It is very slightly radio-active.
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