Bath: The City of Everything Jane Austen

Although we visited many places throughout our English adventures, visiting Bath was definitely a highlight. Not only is Bath a beautiful city, it is Jane Austen mecca. My entire family loves Jane Austen, especially my mother, so going to Bath was like visiting a candy store. We explored the city, trying to imagine what Bath was like during the Regency period. 

This is a screenshot I took from the 1995 feature film Persuasion. In this picture, you can see Bath Abbey (left) and the Roman Baths (right). 

I found this great postcard on Google

Here's a bit of background on the lovely city of Bath. "The Romans channelled Bath's hot sulfurous waters into elaborate thermal pools come two thousand years ago, thus creating the still operational world famous Roman Baths. Today, the city of soft mellow stone encompasses not only the baths, but also the beautiful Bath Abbey, Robert Adam's Pulteney Bridge, and the most majestic strew in Britain, the Royal Crescent. Its streets are lined with boutiques, expensive galleries, antique shops, and fine restaurants and it makes a fascinating place to just stroll around and soak up atmosphere, while losing yourself in a daydream of Georgian high society. A city of perfectly preserved beauty." (Taken from our itinerary). 

Bath Abbey

The Roman Baths

The Georgians loved drinking the hot water of the Roman Baths, since it was believed to have medicinal properties. 

(Screen shot taken from the 1995 film Persuasion)

Beautiful Bath street 

As I mentioned, my family and I love Jane Austen, so we made sure to arrive as early as possible in Bath, to maximize our time. We had so much fun strolling around the city, window shopping, visiting famous sites, and imaging what it would have been like to be a character in a Jane Austen novel. I know for a fact, my mother would want to be Anne Elliot from Persuasion, but I'm more of a Lizzie Bennett kind of gal.

I wonder what Jane Austen would say about this!

Old school British butcher shop

An amazing selection of lip balm

We popped into the Highgrove store, which is Prince Charles' organic company

For some reason, my parents and I were mesmerized by this rather snazzily dressed British gent

After walking around the city and indulging in some retail therapy, we decided to pay the "Jane Austen Centre" a visit. Good god, this place is tacky. As you approach, there is a gentleman dressed in Regency garb, as well as a female mannequin. He welcomes you to the center, but it's kind of awkward. I was embarrassed just looking at him… Still, nice chap and seemed to enjoy his job.

We did not tour the center, sensing it was a major tourist trap and a waste of money, but we did visit the gift shop. This store was bursting at the seam with Jane Austen books, DVDs, mugs, and lots more merchandise. It was kind of amazing!

Is it bad that I sort of want everything here… I mean, who doesn't love Mr. Darcy?! (Specifically the Colin Firth Darcy???!!!)

From the Jane Austen center, we headed toward the famed "Assembly Rooms", but first, we visited "The Circus." Construction on the Circus, which was designed by the architect John Wood the Elder, lasted between 1754 ~ 1768. Wood based his design on Rome's Colosseum.  It is quite pretty and you can easily imagine wealthy Georgians coming and going from the Circus. 

So much to see in Bath!

We eventually arrived at the assembly rooms. Here are some facts that I have taken from Wikipedia regarding the Bath Assembly Rooms:

- designed by John Wood, the Younger in 1769

- set of elegant assembly rooms located in the hear of the World Heritage City of Bath in England

- The New or Upper Assembly Rooms opened with a grand ball in 1771 and became the hub of fashionable society, being frequented by Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, along with nobility of the time

- The Assembly Rooms formed the hub of fashionable Georgian society in the city, the venue being described as "the most noble and elegant of any in the kingdom.

- They were originally known as the Upper Rooms as there was also a lower assembly room in the city

- People would gather in the rooms in the evening for balls and other public functions, or simply to play cards

- Mothers/chaperones brought their daughters to Bath for the social season, hoping to marry them off to a suitable husband. The season ran from October to June, at least 2 balls a week were held, in addition to a range of concerts and other events.

- Scenes such as this featured in the novels of Jane Austen, who lived in Bath with her family from 1801~1805. Both Northanger Abbey and Persuasion are set in Bath. 

My mother was so excited to come back here, especially now that she is a Jane Austen super fan!

We were most disappointed by the limited access of the rooms during our visit. It seemed that there was a wedding occurring later in the day, so much preparation was going on to prepare for that event. How unfair!

One of the main rooms

What an evening concert at the Assembly Rooms would've looked like during the Regency Period

(Screen shot taken from the 1995 film Persuasion)

The main corridor that leads to the three separate rooms

You can see here, Captain Frederick Wentworth (played by Ciaran Hinds) entering the Assembly Rooms

(Screen shot taken from the 1995 film Persuasion)

Today, the basement of the Assembly Rooms is a fashion museum. It's fairly low budget, but it features an array of mainly Georgian outfits. There are some modern outfits, which have been inspired by Georgian designs, as well as Victorian, but the majority of clothes on display are Georgian.

The main collection

Halfway through the exhibit, there is a little dress up area, which is kind of neat. There is an array of Victorian outfits, for both men and women, available to try on! I was a bit hesitant at first, but I quickly got into the spirit of things and donned a GIANT Victoria dress --- crinoline slip and all! Whilst staring in the mirror, examining my Victorian self, I learned a few things: (a) I cannot pull off an entirely plaid dress and (b) crinoline slips are super heavy!

Other visitors playing dress up

Around the corner from the dressing station is a photo opportunity. The museum has a painted wall that depicts what Victorian Bath would have looked like. It's the perfect background for the outfits. My parents and I donned our Victorian finest and made a mini photo shoot, and yes, these pictures will be going into our annual Christmas card! I though we looked great as Victorians. At one point, my dad got a little bit too into it, and he decided he wanted to be the "Artful Dodger" (despite being a grown man) and pretended to pick other visitors' pockets! Can you believe it?!

Although this is not me, that was the dress that I tried on

We had a great time at the Fashion museum. Honestly, the museum itself is sort of "meh", but playing dress up was so so much fun.

Our last stop in Bath was the Royal Crescent. This complex of houses was also designed by John Wood and was a very exclusive address during the Regency period. (In fact, I still think it is a bit exclusive). The Royal Crescent looks identical to the Circus, but this housing complex features a museum. Yes, there is a Royal Crescent Museum, which is essentially a townhouse that has been refurbished to look as it did during the Georgian period. It was pretty cool --- like stepping through a time machine. 

Before departing Bath, we stopped for lunch at the Royal Crescent Hotel. The brasserie was rather modern and the table/chairs were oddly proportioned. Still, we enjoyed our lunch. I ordered a Croque Monsieur  my mother ordered the smoked salmon sandwich, and my father ordered the fish topped with baby shrimp. (The shrimp topping was sooo good!)

The one of the most epic, delicious, and beautiful sundaes I've ever enjoyed!

All in all, we had a truly delightful morning in Bath. We got to pretend that we were characters in a Jane Austen novel (sort of) and take in all that Bath has to offer. If you've never been to this city, I highly recommend it. I'll admit, I think all the streets look identical, so getting lost isn't out of the question, but the architecture and colors of the city are gorgeous and it has a really lovely history. Before you go though, I recommend watching some Jane Austen adaptations, specifically ones that are shot in Bath. It will make your visit all the more exciting!

With that, I conclude my very long Bath post (sorry!) with this picture from Persuasion. You may be wondering why I have been using Persuasion and THIS version of the film so much. Well, this novel and film version are my mother's favorite. My mother adores the love story between Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth AND my mother is a HUGE Ciaran Hinds fan. (A few months ago, she met Hinds at the stage door of his play and he signed her Persuasion DVD! He also took a picture with her. What a lovely guy!) Anyway, I close with this picture from Persuasion. 

This is for you, mama!