Royal Crescent (is this the most beautiful street in England?)
Home to Pulteney Bridge, the city of Bath is sometimes called the most beautiful city in the world. It’s for sure one of the contenders.
And a lot of that is down to Royal Crescent, a sweeping row of 30 Georgian houses built in a perfect curve, framing a wide lawn.
You can explore the Crescent’s gardens or visit No. 1 Royal Crescent, a house museum that shows how people lived here in the 18th century.
Built between 1767 and 1774, the houses are linked with a communal ‘front lawn, which was used during World War II to grow cabbages for local people, during times of rationing.
Today most homes are not residential, the buildings range from a museum to a hotel (used in one of the later episodes of Inspector Morse, when he takes his singing teacher girlfriend Adele Cecile away for a weekend break).
Royal Crescent featured a ‘haha fence’, which back in the day was used to keep sheep and other barnyard animals away from the lawn!
Designed by John Wood the Younger (who also designed the Bath Assembly Rooms), he died in debt, due to his beloved father’s building projects – they are buried next to each other.
It’s believed that the curved architectural style of Royal Crescent was designed to represent the moon, while The Circus (another nearby development) was to represent the sun (designed by John’s father and completed after his father’s death – he then designed Royal Crescent).
This is made up of three curved segments of Georgian townhouses, to form a circle. It has three entrances, and a central round lawn, with plane trees (also London’s most popular street trees).
Let’s take a moment to thank both father and son for these beautiful buildings. They have got to be some of the most attractive architecture in England – it’s a pity they weren’t around to teach some modern architects!
More about the Beautiful City of Bath
Bath is a city in southwest England, just 13 miles from Bristol, which you can reach via a traffic-free old railway line. Royal Victoria Park is a centrepiece of Bath. Opened in 1830 and named after Princess Victoria before she became queen, this park stretches across 57 acres.
The Roman Baths are built around natural hot springs, this ancient site has drawn people for nearly 2,000 years. At the heart of the complex is the Sacred Spring, where natural hot water bubbles up from deep underground. The Romans believed this was the work of the goddess Sulis Minerva.
The Bath Skyline Walk is a six-mile circular path that gives a full view of the city. The trail starts just outside the city centre and climbs up to reveal open fields, wildflowers, ancient woodlands and hidden valleys.
Always follow the Countryside Code, to keep all creatures safe.
