Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
A magnificent semi-elliptical crescent of houses designed by John Wood and completed in 1774. This was the first of Bath's eight crescents, and its shape remains unique. You can visit one of the houses which has been redecorated to resemble what it would have been like at the end of the 18th century. But you don't need to go in to admire the exterior and its view over Bath. There is also a large semi-circular lawn out the front owned by the Royal Crescent residents. It is separated from Victoria Park by a ha-ha (a recessed landscape design element that creates a vertical barrier while preserving an uninterrupted view of the landscape beyond).
The Royal Crescent is a row of 30 terraced houses laid out in a sweeping crescent in the city of Bath, England. Designed by the architect John Wood, the Younger, and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a Grade I listed building. Although some changes have been made to the various interiors over the years, the Georgian stone facade remains much as it was when first built.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Visitors can see this grand Georgian town house redecorated and furnished to show how it might have appeared in the late 18th century.
Dating back to 1761, this small garden has been through multiple transformations over the years. It has now been restored to a Georgian style (c. 1770–1836), with gravel, a stone path, and simple topiaries, and is open to the public. If you're near the Royal Crescent, the garden is worth a visit to step back into the Georgian era for a few minutes.
The Circus is a striking circular arrangement of Georgian townhouses designed by John Wood the Elder and completed by his son in 1768. Inspired by classical Roman forms, its three curved terraces feature superimposed Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns, creating one of Bath’s most distinctive architectural set pieces.
A fascinating selection of ceramics, jades, bronzes, and other art from China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.
Bath's largest park in front of the Royal Crescent. Ideal for ball games or feeding the ducks. The Botanical Gardens in the north-western corner of the park make for a pleasant wander.
Housed in an eighteenth-century Real Tennis Court, the museum traces the development of Bath a retailing and manufacturing centre. If you want to see a side of Bath that's not in the guidebooks, like Victorian factories, this museum is well worth a visit.