After a relaxing day of touring Oxford University and the surrounding city, the Oshkosh scholars headed to the roaming hills and valleys of the Bath countryside. Bath, since its founding soon after the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, has come to be known around the world for its revitalizing hot springs and absorbing history.
Bath first gained recognition from the Romans during their conquest of the British Isles, at the turn of the first millennium, because of its remarkable hot spring resource, which brought the Romans to build the world-renowned Roman Baths, which still exist to this day in glittering majesty. The Baths were centered within the protection of four heavily fortified walls and took on an almost sacred presence, forming the basis for the town's expansion.
Across from the Roman Baths sits Bath Abbey, an impressive example of Gothic architecture. Light from an afternoon English sun streamed through the colors of the magnificent stained-glass windows perched high above. Construction on the Abbey was begun in 1499, and various renovations have been made through the centuries, including the sprawling fan vaulting, added in the nineteenth century.
The eighteenth century marked the rebuilding of Bath. Its highlights include the Guildhall, boasting the banqueting hall that has been called "the finest interior in Bath." The most well-known buildings were designed by the eighteenth-century architects, John Wood the elder and his son, of the same name. Their credits include the Circus, the Royal Crescent, and the Assembly Rooms.
To close our day in the aged city, the group paused for Tea in the Pump Room, yet another example of fine English architecture of the eighteenth century. With the airy sounds of a grand piano floating through the vast room, we nibbled on thin sandwiches and pastries (cleverly disguised as American brownies) and relaxed with the comfort of cups of hot tea and coffee.