Travel-and-Leisure
Bath Spa To Open at Last!
From August 7 2006, Bath Spa will be the only place in the UK where you can bathe in natural, hot spring water ? just as people have been doing in the city of Bath for two thousand years.
In fact, Bath England is said to owe its very existence to the hot springs that well up here. Legend has it that back in the mists of time, Bladud was a prince who was banished from court when he contracted leprosy. He became a swineherd and took his pigs into the marshy ground where springs rose up by the River Avon. He noticed that the pigs which wallowed in the black mud no longer suffered scurvy and immersed himself. His leprosy was cured, he returned to court in triumph and eventually became king. In gratitude for his cure he built a temple by the spring and founded the city of Bath. It is said that the acorns on the frieze around the houses in the Circus refer to this story.
1.2 million litres of water rise daily from 3 natural springs at 40 degrees centigrade. The water contains sulphate, chloride, calcium, sodium hydrogen carbonate and silicate and can be used to treat rheumatic and muscular problems, skin problems and respiratory disease. However, Bath has been a spa town in name only since 1978 when the NHS spa treatment centre was closed due to concerns about the purity of the water.
The Bath Spa project has been causing local and national controversy since 2000, when the Millenium Commission gave a ?7.78 million grant to refurbish five listed buildings on the site, close to the Roman Baths and Pump Room. It was scheduled to open in 2002 but has been constantly plagued by expensive problems. A grand opening was planned to coincide with a concert in the city of Bath in 2003 by the Three Tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, but the building was not ready. Peeling paint, leaking floors and vandals breaking glass panels have led to a series of delays and spiralling costs ? the total investment in the project is now over ?40 million, from an estimated cost of ?13 million.
Bath Spa will be operated by Thermae Development Company, a Dutch spa development company which created the Thermae 2000 Spa in Valkenburg, Holland in 1989. The Spa has since been credited with the flourishing of the local tourism industry and the regeneration of the town?s economy. It is the hope of the local council, which is footing much of the inflated bill, that the regaining of spa status will have equally beneficial effects on the city of Bath.
Judy Heminsley lived and worked in the Georgian city of Bath England for many years. Her website http://www.city-of-bath-england.com provides her insider knowledge and carefully-selected recommendations on the best things to do and see in this beautiful city. |
Judy Heminsley
Similar articles
Bagamyo Road & Dar Es Salaam
This must be my favorite road in the whole of Dar es Salaam; or should I say out of Dar es Salaam. Not because it has anything especially attractive about it - not because it has any exciting attractions along it, however it has a special place in my heart. Read more →Banff & Lake Louise, Canadian Rocky Mountain Jewel
One of the most beloved travel destinations in Canada is the Banff and Lake Louise area located in the province of Alberta. The town of Banff is 90 minutes (75 miles) west of Calgary and is within the Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Read more →BC - Invermere, The Hub of the Columbia Valley
The Upper Columbia Valley is known for its internationally famous resorts and resort villages, most with their own hot springs. The hub of the area is the town of Invermere. Read more →Bed Bugs are Making a Comeback - Here is What to Do to Make Sure You Don't Suffer
A Brief HistoryBed bugs have been documented as pests since the 17th century and were introduced to this country by the early colonists. They were common in the United States prior to World War II, after which time widespread use of synthetic insecticides such as DDT greatly reduced their numbers. Read more →Aphorism
The routines of tourism are even more monotonous than those of daily life.