The Bath Directory

Guide to Bath

Located 97 miles west of London, Bath is the gem of Somerset county. It was granted the status of ‘city’ in 1590, by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth the first, and was also made a county borough in 1889, giving it administrative independence from Somerset.

Bath is a place with a rich history and has links all the way back to the Iron Age, which is something that continues to bring the tourists flocking in year after year. Although research suggests Bath was well known before the Roman occupation, it’s thought that it really blossomed around AD43 and in the later ages. The Roman’s established the city as a spa during their time in England, giving it the Latin name Aquae Sulis, which means ‘the waters of Sulis’. They undertook great developments in the area, building baths and temples throughout the city and it’s surrounding valley - through which ran the River Avon. Further down the timeline, Bath enjoyed a surge in popularity in the late first century, when the King of England, Edgar was crowned at Bath Abbey. It flourished further during the Georgian period, seeing major expansion in architecture crafted from Bath Stone, examples of which can still be seen today in the city centre.

In 1987, the City of Bath became a World Heritage Site, thanks to its colourful historic charm and many cultural endeavours. Recent years have seen the City build theatres, museums, and dozens of other cultural hotspots that attract large numbers of visitors every year – more than one million people stay in the city annually, with almost 3.8 million visiting for the day. Although Bath is a city steeped in history, it is still very much a modern place to live and work. Alongside it’s Roman baths and Medieval churches, there are two universities and several colleges, giving the city a thriving student population, and creative industries continue to flourish, as does the communication sector.

Much like the rest of South West England, Bath enjoys a milder climate than the rest of the country, which at times can be wetter too. The area’s seasonal temperature variation tends to be less extreme than the rest of the UK, because of incoming temperatures from the sea. Average rainfall is around 700mm a year, with a typical snowfall or between eight and fifteen days.