Bath: The Biography

This is the story of Bath and its people. Founded in AD 60-70 by the Roman invaders, it was named Aquae Sulis, a name which referred to the hot-water springs found here and their seemingly magical healing qualities, leading to the establishment of a health spa. In the Anglo-Saxon/Norman period which followed, we learn from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle that King Edgar the Peaceful was crowned in AD 973 in Bath Abbey. In the Middle Ages, from 1189 to 1546, Bath flourished as a centre for the wool trade and agriculture. The Georgian era saw the resurrection of Bath as a spa town - the old Roman Baths were revived. Bath is the most complete and best-preserved Georgian city in Great Britain. The age of Queen Victoria followed, when Bath settled down as a quiet residential district with observance of the Sabbath and Sunday church worship. The twentieth century and beyond saw the city cope with two world wars, and its people experienced the effects of food shortages and air raids. Following its designation as a World Heritage Centre, Bath was reinvented again as a prime tourist attraction.