Bath is absolutely beautiful, and it is very obvious why it is a major tourist destination. From the rolling hills, to the old English architecture (Georgian and Classic styles), to beautiful Bath Abbey and the amazing Roman Baths, the history of Bath can be seen everywhere you gaze. I caught my first glimpses of REAL ancient Roman architecture, beautifully preserved and elegantly displayed in the Roman Bath museum. The hot springs were considered highly sacred to the Romans who ruled here until approximately 400 A.D. They called this city Aquas Silus after the Goddess Silus. Citizens would make sacrafices (animals, precious household items, even curses scratched on lead tablets) and throw them into the hot springs. It was amazing to see the recovered small lead tablets with Roman curses (on the man that stole my such-and-such) scratched into them that were recovered from the springs. Then the Romans would bathe.... and be healed of all their ailments, whether they be mental or physical.
It's actually quite humorous... many of these people had dreadful lead poisoning because everything was made out of lead. Really all the baths were doing was helping the body get the lead out of their system.
Then, around 400 A.D., the Roman empire began to fall and Christianity made it's way to Bath. The old Pagan churches were destroyed, and the new Christian churches were built. People were still using the hot springs to cure them of their ailments, but unfortunately, the common baths were a vessel to spread Cholera and Typhoid. These people had no idea that hygine and health were related. Yuck.