Boutique Guest House - Dukes of Bath

It’s The Little Things That Make A Stay in Bath

At Dukes Hotel we know that it's the little details that can make all the difference to a stay in Bath. Whether this is just the right amount of milk in your morning tea, a room with a view, or having an egg that's just the right mix of soft and hard boiled for breakfast; these are the details that make all the difference. So this got us thinking recently about all the small things around the city that we might not always notice. And with this is mind we decided to write a post on some of the often-overlooked gems to look out for during a stay in Bath.

Bath is lucky to be the only city in Britain to have been given UNESCO world heritage site status. It was awarded this honour, among other things, for its Georgian architecture and grand Roman Baths. What fewer people know is that to commemorate this achievement Bath installed the UNESCO symbol in the floor outside of the Pump Rooms; just at the junction between Bath Street and Stall Street.

One primary example of Bath's grand Georgian architecture is the Circus. Completed in 1768 by John Wood the Younger (following plans laid out by his Father) this impressive circle of townhouses has stone statues of acorns lining it’s roofs. But since they're quite high up the acorns are not always noticed, and if they are then their significance is often unknown.

The reason John Wood included them was as a reference to the story of how Bath became a city. In around 850BC the future King Bladud was working as a swineherd, having been cast out of court for being a leper. The pigs he was looking after also had leprosy. At least they did until they played in some hot springs while they were hunting for acorns. The pigs came out muddy but cured of the disease. Bladud saw this, also went into the waters and his leprosy was also cured. He founded the city of Bath on the site in gratitude.  

Another impressive feature of Bath has to be Bath Abbey. At one hundred and fifty meters tall it’s not easy to miss. What is easier to miss though are the holes in the ceiling, but we promise you they are in fact there. Each one is about the size of a two-pound coin and they were put there deliberately to make it easier for the bell ringers. The ringers could put their eyes to the holes and see during weddings and the like when the happy couple was making their way back down the aisle. This was their cue to start the bells.  

Bath has plenty of secrets to reveal if you know where to look, and we’d like to think that Dukes Hotel might be one of them. Come and stay in Bath at our Georgian gem of a Bath guesthouse and let us help you discover the city’s hidden stories.