Bath Spa Creative Writing Entry Requirements

Bath used to be called 'Aquae Sulis', which means 'hot waters'. It was the equivalent of a 5-star-luxury spa resort for the Romans and they headed to it in their droves from around 79BC (the earliest recorded inscription in the city's famous Roman Baths dates from this time).

Bath's hot springs deliver over one million litres of water every day. This water, containing 42 minerals, originally fell as rain about 10,000 years ago and was warmed deep in the earth by high temperature rocks.

If you want to sit in 10,000-year-old rain water, you'll have to visit the Thermae Bath Spa. Don't even consider leaving Bath without doing this. Not only do you get the chance to sit in a rare natural hot water spring in the UK, you get the chance to sit in it on a rooftop high over the city. At night you get the chance to sit in it with the city lights on! (You can only look at the water in the Roman Baths, you'll probably be arrested if you try to leap in.)

Sitting there in the bubbling hot spring, feeling warm and toasty in the 34-degree temperature while the air temperature around me was a fresh nine degrees, it was hard not to feel rejuvenated; Bath spread out at the foot of my swimsuit, people drifting happily past me on giant blue floats. And when I had enough of the crisp winter air, it was a short walk down the stairs to an entire floor of steam rooms – four different 'experiences', from Lotus Flower to Frankincense and central drench showers. And as the light faded outside, I took up residence in the huge thermal pool on the ground floor, watching the flickering water play on the white ceiling, coloured lights lighting up the space as darkness fell.

You can also have a spa treatment while you're there; products are by the wonderful Aromatherapy Associates and it might be worth picking up one of the lovely body oils or skincare products to take the wellbeing experience home, Particularly recommended is the De-Stress Frankincense Pure Essential Oil, £27, the Renewing Rose Body Oil, £41, and the Instant Skin Firming Serum, £53 (also available from the brand's website).

Bath is the ultimate place to get the full wellbeing 'spa' experience. Because while we might feel terribly contemporary and cosmopolitan in our fluffy robes and slippers swanking about 'Tepidariums' in our swish ultra modern spas, those Roman sandals treaded that path many centuries before us. Of course, they weren't wearing anything except sandals back then, spas being slightly more 'let it all hang out' than they are today.

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You can follow in the Roman's actual footsteps on a self-guided tour around the crumbling pillars and uneven footpaths of the famous Roman Baths. Get glimpses of pre-Christian life deep underground on the original temple steps or mingle with the Romans themselves in the more modern 12th century courtyard above. I had a quick chat with a stonemason and his son, who offered to come round my own temple later to knock up some statues for my garden (the 'Romans' remain in character at all times but will happily pose for photographs).

The Roman Baths tour is a fascinating walk through history and finishes in the lavish 18th century Pump Room, a dining hall of pomp and splendour where you can enjoy a Bath bun and a pot of Earl Grey tea for just a fiver. The sumptuous setting will crank up your wellbeing no end.

And when the day of spa-ing and reflecting and history comes to an end, you'll want a contemplative and visually inspiring place to rest your head. And you won't want to jar your wellbeing by travelling too far to get there. So, right round the corner from the Roman Baths and just a short walk from the Thermae Spa, is the Abbey Hotel, facing the wide expanse of the rushing river Avon with its pretty bank-side gardens. It's a family-owned boutique hotel with lots to feast your eyes on; from the stylish glass installation in the chic Art Bar to the artworks covering stairwells, corridors and the main reception rooms.

There's the 'wellbeing' of a perfectly placed cushion on a leather armchair in the bar, the 'balance' of fine ingredients, expertly assembled and prepared, in the dining room. Dinner that night was Celeriac and Bramley apple soup, a chicken terrine with shitake mushrooms and globe artichokes, the freshness of a cod fillet matched with an unctuous slow-cooked egg and rich creamy grains, plaice dressed with Cornish crab and miso lettuce. We gave the food the true 'meditation' it deserved – enjoying several minutes of reverential silence to taste and carefully consider flavours, textures and pairings.

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Not that we were eating in a temple of awed silence for the duration of dinner – quite the opposite. The staff were chatty and friendly and by the end of the meal we were swapping stories with the waiters and had even made friends with the couple at the next table in the easy-going atmosphere.

For a leisurely pace of life and beautiful things to admire, Bath can't be beaten. With its fine buildings, interesting attractions, gorgeous boutiques, galleries and quirky shops, there's a treat around every corner. For a New Year dose of wellbeing, it's the perfect choice.

Information
Stays at the Abbey Hotel start from £125 per room per night based on two sharing on a B&B basis. To book visit www.abbeyhotelbath.co.uk or phone 01225 805613. Pick up a guide to Bath at the Visitor Information Centre near the Abbey.

Photos: Rob Wilson Jnr, Fluid4Sight; Abbey Hotel

RELATED: WHY BATH IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S SAFEST CITIES

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Bath Spa Creative Writing Entry Requirements

Source: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/fashion-beauty/a559049/bath-spa/

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