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Ancient Roman Bath House

April 25, 2014 by David Herd

Roman Baths

Ancient Roman Bath House

Ancient Roman Bath House

Ancient Roman Bath House complex is a site of historical interest in the English city of Bath. The house is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing. The Roman Baths themselves are below the modern street level.

The name Sulis continued to be used after the Roman invasion, leading to the town’s Roman name of Aquae Sulis (“the waters of Sulis”). The temple was constructed in 60-70 AD and the bathing complex was gradually built up over the next 300 years. During the Roman occupation of Britain, and possibly on the instructions of Emperor Claudius, engineers drove oak piles to provide a stable foundation into the mud and surrounded the spring with an irregular stone chamber lined with lead. In the 2nd century it was enclosed within a wooden barrel-vaulted building, and included the caldarium (hot bath), tepidarium (warm bath), and frigidarium (cold bath). After the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the first decade of the 5th century, these fell into disrepair and were eventually lost due to silting up, and flooding. TheAnglo-Saxon Chronicle suggests the original Roman baths were destroyed in the 6th century.

Steam rising

Roman Bath House

The water that flows through the Roman Baths is considered unsafe for bathing, partly due to its having passed through the still-functioning original lead pipes, and up until World War II, it was advertised on the basis of the radioactivity it contained. However the more significant danger is now considered to be infectious diseases. In October 1978, a young girl swimming with the Bath Dolphins, a local swimming club, in the restored Roman Bath contracted meningitis and died, leading to the closure of the bath for several years. Tests showed that Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba, was in the water. The newly constructed Thermae Bath Spa nearby, designed by Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners, and the refurbished Cross Bath allow modern-day bathers to experience the waters via a series of more recently drilled boreholes.

Fascinating place to visit

Ancient Roman Bath House

Probably was exactly the same many centuries ago.

Ancient stone coffins

Ancient Roman Bath House

I would not have enjoyed being a pallbearer. 🙂

  Acting the part as the English love to do.

Ancient Roman Bath House

Taking a bath was not a simple chore. There was not one bath to use in a large complex such as the one at Bath. A visitor could use a cold bath (the frigidarium), a warm bath (the tepidarium) and a hot bath (the caldarium). A visitor would spend some of his time in each one before leaving. A large complex would also contain an exercise area (the palaestra), a swimming pool and a gymnasium. One of the public baths at Pompeii contains two tepidariums and caldariums along with a plunge pool and a large exercise area.

Ancient Roman Bath House

Ancient Roman Bath House

Does not look too inviting does it?

That water looks very unhealthy

Ancient Roman Bath House

This is no place for a swim.

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Entrance to the Baths

Ancient Roman Bath House

                   The entrance does not indicate the treasure inside.        

Thanks for visiting my Historic Roman Baths in Bath photo blog.      

                           More posts for you to see

English restaurants             City of Bath                     Lands End

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

Pattaya live webcam
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Good English restaurants exist

July 27, 2013 by David Herd

The Westbeach in Bournemouth.

Good English restaurants exist

Good English restaurants exist

 Good English restaurants exist, many people think they are few and far between, but here are a couple to consider. The Westbeach restaurant in Bournemouth is certainly worth a visit, great location on the beach, with a good menu offering a nice selection. I first visited Westbeach December 2007 then returned in 2009 so things may have changed. 

Please click on Google + to help my ranking.

The Priory hotel in Bath

Good English restaurants exist

 The Priory in Bath is very good, receiving a Michelin star in 2012. Sam Moody is the chef.

Excellent food

PrioryhotelBath14

The Priory is old world charm at its best, for more information please click here.

 The Mission in Plymouth.

Good English restaurants exist

The Mission has great atmosphere and very good food.

 The Well at Buckington, Wiltshire.

Good English restaurants exist

Here are my nieces Laura & Elyssa hamming it up at the Well in Bulkington, a nice English pub with good food.

The Bridge Tea Room, Bradford on Avon

Good English restaurants exist

One of Britain’s Great Tea Rooms is in Bradford on Avon, the afternoon ritual of serving tea has been developed to a fine art here, and is so accomplished that the Bridge Tea Rooms has been recognized as excellent by the prestigious UK Tea Guild for many years. Delicate bone china, the finest leaf teas, and friendly staff in Victorian costumes serving home-made cakes, pastries and sandwiches. Housed in a former blacksmith’s cottage dating from 1502, the Bridge Tea Rooms positively oozes atmosphere, and the classical music playing gently in the background sets a tranquil tone.

One of Britain’s Great Tea Rooms

Beautiful Historic English Village

If you are ever in this delightful village make sure you visit this tea room.

MY LOVELY NIECE LOVED THE SCONES.

Good English restaurants exist

Laura really loved the scones.

My other lovely niece Elyssa preferred the sponge cake.

Good English restaurants exist

Either one would do me.

La Chateaux Du Vin in Brighton

Good English restaurants exist

  AgnesPaulo and Nikki at my favourite Brighton restaurantLa Chateaux Du Vin, open for lunch and dinner, if you go there please pass on my regards.  :-D Good English restaurants exist

Good English restaurants exist

Above is Smoked salon on Matzo which  is an unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday.

The Bath Arms Hotel in Brighton 

Good English restaurants exist

 A terrific ham & salad sandwich.

The Par Inn, Cornwall

Good English restaurants exist

  This is definitely not one of the Good English restaurants, worst Cornish pasties I’ve ever tasted were here. The  reason I paid this town a visit was because it was the birth place of my grandfather Sam Tippett.

Thanks for visiting my Good English restaurants exist photo blog.

                       Here are some more posts to check out           
Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
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               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

  

 

 

Click here to brighten up your day with a taste of Brazil.

 

A nice city in South West England

 

I now live in Pattaya in Thailand

 

Check out these great photo blogs.

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Travelling Through South West England

July 23, 2013 by David Herd

Shaftesbury in Dorset

Travelling Through South West England

Wandering around South West England

Travelling Through South West England, I have taken thousands of photos there and this one is my favorite. It is Gold Hill, Shaftesbury which is in Dorset. There is a nice tea room at the top of the hill where you can enjoy scones with jam & cream while enjoying the view. I will try to give you some useful travel tips towards the end of this post.

Lyme Regis, Dorset.

Wandering around South West England

 Lyme Regis in Dorset is a special place, the coastline in either direction is magnificent. The cliffs over the  boarder are grey and crumbling, those eastwards, towards Charmouth are also unstable – especially after heavy rain, and those at Black Ven are capped with a layer of Gold. The town is noted for the fossils found in the cliffs and beaches, which are part of the Heritage Coast—known commercially as the Jurassic Coast—a World Heritage Site. For information please click here.

Lyme Regis South west England

Wandering around South West England

 A beautiful part of the English coastline.

Travelling Through South West England to Weymouth

Wandering around South West England

Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset,  situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast. The town is 13 kilometres (8 mi) south of Dorchester and 8 kilometres (5 mi) north of the Isle of Portland. The town’s population is 52,323 (2011). The town is the largest settlement in Dorset following the unitary authorities of Bournemouth and Poole   The history of the borough stretches back to the 12th century; including involvement in the spread of the Black Death, the settlement of the Americas, the development of Georgian architecture, and preparations for World War II. Fishing and trading employ fewer people in the area since their peak in earlier centuries, but tourism has continuously increased its presence in the town since the 18th century and is now the primary industry. 

Travelling Through South West England

Wandering around South West England

Dorchester is the county town of Dorset. A historic market town, Dorchester lies on the banks of the River Frome, in the Frome Valley, just south of the Dorset Downs and north of the South Dorset Ridgeway, that separates the area from Weymouth, 8 miles (13 km) south. Dorchester is noted as being home and inspiration to the author Thomas Hardy, whose novel The Mayor of Casterbridge was based on the town. In the 2001 Census the official population of Dorchester was 16,171, although by 2010 this was estimated to have risen to 18,280.

St Ives in Cornwall

Wandering around South West England

St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. Wikipedia

Wandering around South West England to St Ives

Wandering around South West England

Lots of narrow winding lanes some too narrow for vehicles.

Lands End, Cornwall.

Wandering around South West England

 Here we are at Lands End in Cornwall, England’s most westerly point. Wind levels in winter reach around 20-25 knots, which is windier than most of England. The highest temperature recorded is 28.9 °C, and the lowest temperature recorded is -3.4 °C.

For a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Most westerly point in England.

Wandering around South West England

Such a wild rugged coastline.

The famous Roman Baths in Bath.

Wandering around South West England

I’m sure these baths have not changed in centuries.

Beautiful city of Bath

 

Wandering around South West England

This is certainly one of my favourite English cities Wandering around South West England.

So many pubs & such little time.

Wandering around South West England

English pubs have got to be the best in the world, then again I have never been to Ireland. 🙂

Please click on Google + to help my ranking. 

Bradford on Avon

Wandering around South West England

We have traveled north now to Bradford on Avon in west Wiltshire, one of my favourite English villages with some excellent pubs & restaurants.

My niece Laura love the scones at The Bridge Tea rooms.

Wandering around South West England

Can afternoon tea get any better than this?

Tithe Barn Bradford on Avon

Wandering around South West England

A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing tithes—one tenth of a farm’s produce which was given to the Church. Tithe barns were usually associated with the village church or rectory and independent farmers took their tithes there.

Tithe Barn

Wandering around South West England

The village priests wouldn’t have to pay tithes—the purpose of the tithe being their support—and some had their own farms anyway, which are now village greens in some villages.

Houseboats on the Kennet and Avon Canal.

Wandering around South West England

The ducks or drakes deciding whether to go for a swim or a walk. 🙂

Two Dinosaurs at the Trowbridge show in Wiltshire.

Wandering around South West England

Oh well, it is better to be a “has been” than a “never was”. 🙂
 
For a great discount on your room rate just book through THIS LINK.
 

Super travel tips. Great Britain has an excellent rail service, save up to 80% by booking your ticket before you arrive, just click here. London Underground’s Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow Airport and the capital, so look for accommodation around Earl’s Court, Gloucester Rd or Knightsbridge. For more information click here.

Here is an excellent hotel close to Gloucester Rd underground.

For lots of things to do in Bath please click here.

For information on beautiful Bradford on Avon just click here.

Travelling Through South West England which is certainly one of my favorite parts of this wonderful country.                     

Here are some more posts to check out           
Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 
  Please check out these fabulous posts
       Gold Coast                              Pattaya                          Cinque Terre
bd96516a-84df-4ca0-86e6-c757cc9053d1          01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f          e18b6c87-5adc-4a80-92cf-6c643ad130c1
 
Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
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    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 


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