Photos and the City

Tag: literature

Early Morning in Bath

The next morning after my evening walk in Bath it was about time to explore the city more deeply. I remembered a little bit from my first time here a few years ago but there was still so much to discover!

It was a beautiful cold and crisp winter morning when I was making my way into the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. Even before Jane Austen’s heroines discovered Bath and its spa it was a beloved place of relaxations by the Romans who built a huge spa complex to use the natural hot springs, which was on my to-do list for that day – but first breakfast!

Hay Hill

And on the way to breakfast, I did some detours, like this one via Hay Hill, where I discovered the first of many ghost signs in Bath.

Books & Coffee

Bath became the centre of fashionable life in England during the 18th century when its Old Orchard Street Theatre and architectural developments such as Lansdown Crescent, the Royal Crescent, The Circus, and Pulteney Bridge were built. (Wikipedia)

I walked by a lot of amazing looking bookshops and coffee houses but I already had special plans for my morning coffee.

Pulteney Bridge

Crossing the river Avon is Pulteney Bridge with little shops on both sides, named after Frances Pulteney the wife of William Pulteney who funded the project (and many others in Bath).

Crossing the Avon, the Palladian Pulteney Bridge is the work of the Scottish architect Robert Adam and dates to 1774. The monument grabs your attention for the rows of shops along its 45-metre span and is of the most photographed monuments in Bath’s World Heritage centre. (The Crazy Tourist)

And I´ve arrived at my designated breakfast spot for the day – I not only came for the coffee but also for the view across the Avon.

The current weir was constructed after the last floods, but the first ones were already built in the Middle Ages to prevent the city from flooding.

14/02/2019
Hello Bath!

Sunset in Bath

Last week I spend a few days in England, just a bit of relaxation and fun. So, there will be a wee break from the travels through Scotland last summer and a little bit of English winter.

My flight left a very cold and frosty Vienna and actually arrived early in Heathrow, a quite new experience! I continued by bus to Bath and just enjoyed being driven through the lovely landscape – England greeted me with sunshine and blue sky!

The first task of the day was a photo shoot for Natasha who chose Bath as the backdrop for her wintery dream images. And what a backdrop the city provided, such a gorgeous sunset and magical winter light!

Hair and makeup were provided by Louise Jane Makeup Artist.

Dress by Irina Hofer

The Circus

The Circus, Latin for “circular”, is an iconic building in the city of Bath, in Somerset, in England, consisting of three curved segments of Grade I listed townhouses arranged in a circular shape. Originally known as The King’s Circus, this 18th century landmark was designed by architect John Wood, the Elder, although he never lived to see his plans turned into reality as he died less than three months after the first stone was laid in 1754. His son, John Wood the Younger, completed the building in 1768. (Amusingplanet.com)

The first signs of spring were all around, from snowdrops to these little ones.

I´ve already visited Bath once a couple of years ago, but back then I mainly was looking for Jane Austen’s footsteps, so I couldn´t wait to explore the city more in the next day!

12/02/2019
Gretna Green

Hello Scotland! From Jane Austen to Downton Abbey – there was always at least one daughter that run away to Gretna Green in the middle of the night to get married. I´ve read so much about this little town on the Scottish border, that I just had to stay a night there! And lucky me – I even met a runaway bride!

In the middle of the 18th-century marriage laws in England were changed. One had to be at least 21 to be allowed to get married without the parents’ consent and the wedding had to take place in a church.

But in Scotland “you could marry on the spot, in a simple ‘marriage by declaration’, or‘handfasting’ ceremony, only requiring two witnesses and assurances from the couple that they were both free to marry.” (Gretna Green) as long as you were over 15 and not closely related to each other.

Gretna Green was the first village on Scottish soil on the direct route between London and Edinburgh and as the couples had no time to lose, Gretna Green became the #1 destination for weddings at the “famous” blacksmith shop, where you could still get married today. We saw quite a few couples doing this and sneaked in between.

Even so, Scottish law allowed a very short and informal “ceremony”,

English couples usually preferred to keep some English marriage traditions and so looked for someone in authority to oversee the ceremony. The most senior and respected craftsman or artisan in the countryside was the village blacksmith, and so the Blacksmith’s Forge at Gretna Green became a favourite place for weddings.

The tradition of the blacksmith sealing the marriage by striking his anvil led to the Gretna blacksmiths becoming known as ‘anvil priests’. Indeed the blacksmith and his anvil are now symbols of Gretna Green weddings. Gretna Green’s famous Blacksmiths Shop, the Old Smithy where lovers have come to marry since 1754, is still in the village and still a wedding venue. (Historic UK.com)

I stayed at the lovely Prince Charlies Cottage B&B and it was just a short walk to the Blacksmiths and the whole “shebang”, the shops and café around the venue reminded me of a tiny charming Las Vegas – it´s all about marriage, romance and fun. And the view from behind the parking is amazing!

When you feel fed and have enough of the shopping what about a little walk to the adjoining Gretna, a planned town built during World War I to provide homes for 30,000 employees of a munitions factory that was the biggest in the world. I planned to visit “The Devil’s Porridge” museum the next day to learn more about the factory but was too early.

But if you´re up for even more shopping there is a huge Outlet centre in Gretna, I prefer a little evening walk…

Huge thank you to the lovely runaway bride, actress Alice.

09/10/2018