“Taking the waters” is still a tradition Throughout Bath’s history, it was believed that bathing in the hot springs as well as drinking the waters had health benefits. In Northanger Abbey, one of the main characters is sent to Bath “for his health.”

John Wood the Younger

But on to Bath. Jane Austen disliked Bath, a fact I was marginally aware of before making the pilgrimage. She lived there for several years with her family after her father retired, and some critics argue that she found the place so depressing she was unable to work.

Bath is perhaps the city most closely associated with the Regency era, thanks to the wealth of Georgian architecture that adorns its lanes – such as Pulteney Bridge, the townhouse curve of the Circus and the exquisite Royal Crescent.

Upon George III’s death in 1820, the prince regent became King George IV….Regency era.

Most of Bath’s buildings are made from the local, golden-coloured, Bath Stone. The dominant architectural style is Georgian, which evolved from the Palladian revival style that became popular in the early 18th century. The city became a fashionable and popular spa and social centre during the 18th century.

The reason for Bath’s hot springs is that the city sits in the mouth of a long-dormant volcano. The caldera that formed the city has been extinct for many millennia, but the thermal heat still makes for a nice, relaxing dip in the springs.

Bath is one of the most prosperous parts of the UK. Stuart Black/Flickr Every year, the Legatum Institute, a London based think-tank releases its annual global Prosperity Index, a huge survey that ranks what it calls the most prosperous countries in the world.

As the most expensive area to live in Somerset, it is not a surprise that Bath has some of the most posh neighbourhoods in the region. But with so much impressive architecture to choose from in a city brimming with history, which areas have the most expensive houses and why are these neighbourhoods so sought after?

Bath took the top prize with a score of 4.84, with 1,400 of the 1,618 reviews giving the city five out of five on the friendly scale.

Bath has been voted the fifth friendliest city in the UK. The survey of 1.5 million people, which was carried out by global travel site Big 7 Travel, discovered which cities across the UK were the most welcoming. Bath was pipped to the top spot only by Newcastle, Glasgow, York and Manchester.

The City of Bath is of Outstanding Universal Value for the following cultural attributes: The Roman remains, especially the Temple of Sulis Minerva and the baths complex (based around the hot springs at the heart of the Roman town of Aquae Sulis, which have remained at the heart of the City’s development ever since) …

Summary about cost of living in Bath, United Kingdom: Family of four estimated monthly costs are 3,682$ (2,676£) without rent. A single person estimated monthly costs are 1,084$ (788£) without rent. Bath is 17.48% less expensive than New York (without rent).

Safety and Crime Bath was named the second safest city in the world (second only to York) in 2015 and continues to rate highly as one of the safest places in the UK to live. With high numbers of families, students and tourists Bath is a friendly, welcoming city but like any UK city, crime does exist.

The Best Areas to Live in Bath & Bristol

• Where to live in Bristol. Bristol offers plenty of options, whether you’re looking to buy a modern flat or a large family home.
• Clifton.
• Totterdown and Temple Meads.
• Leigh Woods.
• Redland and Cotham.
• Best Areas to Live in Bath.
• Weston.
• Larkhall.

The most dangerous streets in Bath city centre revealed

• Manvers Street – 34. Manvers Street, which runs north from Bath Spa station to the corner of Henry Street, is Bath’s crime hot spot in March.
• Wine Street – 17.
• Bath Street shopping area – 14.
• The Paragon – 12.
• Westgate Street – 9.
• Green Street – 8.
• Stall Street – 8.

The numbers show that with a ratio of 10.1 Bath is now the fifth least affordable city behind Oxford, Cambridge, Greater London and Brighton and Hove.

Bristol is a much biger modern city, based on the old port. Bath has a very grand but regional town/city feel. bath is a lot nicer, smaller and more scenic to walk around,plus its just more ‘touristy’ so as you will be tourists, thats what I would advise.

Although Bristol is certainly not the cheapest city to live in when it comes to rent and buying food, annual disposable income for people is between £5,000 and £7,499, according to a new report by finance broker ABC Finance….Promoted Stories.

Bath is slightly more expensive, but has more history and cultural things to see and do. On the other hand, the restaurant and bar scene in Bristol is rather brilliant.