Overview
Bath is one of the supreme achievements of European architecture and urban design. The Romans did as Romans do and harnessed hot springs to create a resort of some magnificence; belief in their medicinal benefits was revived in Tudor times. But it was in the 18th century that visiting Bath became highly fashionable, and entrepreneurs and architects transformed and extended the city into the beautiful creation we see today.
While inspired by the memory of the Roman past, the classical architecture was adapted to satisfy the taste and desires of the Georgian aristocracy and merchant classes. The location of the city also had a profound effect on its character, rising up from a curl in the River Avon into a bowl of limestone hills from which the distinctive honey-coloured stone was quarried.
We see the finest of these buildings – the classic John Wood sequence of Queen Square, Circus and Royal Crescent; the Pump Room, colonnaded Bath Street, the Guildhall and the Assembly Rooms; the curvacious sequence of Somerset Place and the Lansdowns and the grandeur of Great Pulteney Street. We also explore some of the lesser-known but equally attractive corners of this most fascinating of cities.
The lecturer, Dr Geoffrey Tyack, is a distinguished historian of Georgian architecture. Three interiors will be seen if regulations permit, but the day has been planned to be satisfactory without.
Start and finish
Bath Spa Station, 9.45am & 5.00pm, though you could peel off earlier.
Price
£190, including lunch and morning refreshments, taxi, admission charges (which we will give as donations if sites remain closed).
More information about Culture Days gift vouchers.
Group size
Maximum 12 participants.
Fitness
Walking: four or five miles, much of it on sloping ground.
Are you fit enough to join the tour?
Cancellation
We will return the full amount if you notify us 22 or more days before the event. We will retain 50% if cancellation is made within three weeks and 100% if within three days. Please put your cancellation in writing to info@martinrandall.co.uk. We advise taking out insurance in case of cancellation and recommend that overseas clients are also covered for possible medical and repatriation costs.