For more information on the whole complex; just Google "The Royal Crescent"; and
for further information on the museum, Google "Number One Royal Crescent."
No visit to Bath would be complete without seeing The Royal Crescent. Built between 1767 and 1774 by architect John Wood the Younger, this semi-circular complex of thirty town houses was where many of Bath's upper society lived. The building was designed so that the front was uniform and symmetrical, while the rear took on various roof heights. Each occupant would purchase a length of facade and then could hire their own architect to build whatever they wanted behind it. The first house, Number One Royal Crescent, was owned by Irish Member of Parliament, Henry Sanford, from 1776 until 1796. This is now the headquarters of the Bath Preservation Trust and a wonderful museum about what life was like in the 18th century. Today, the original thirty houses have been divided into 18 apartment, 10 full size town houses, a five-star luxury hotel, and the museum. Throughout our travels, we've mentioned that history is important to us; so a visit here was a must, and a delight. For more information on the whole complex; just Google "The Royal Crescent"; and for further information on the museum, Google "Number One Royal Crescent." The Royal Crescent complex as seen from Victoria Park. The tall building on the right-hand side of the previous picture is "Number One Royal Crescent", home of the Bath Preservation Trust and the Royal Crescent museum. Many of these old mansions make an effort to impress as soon as you enter the front door, with elegant looking staircases... ...and this certainly did impress. The family room/parlor is where the informal breakfast was taken. Afterwards, the table would be cleared and moved into a corner, out of the way. The Drawing Room was typically where the ladies would take tea and/or entertain.... ...while the men of the house would retire to "The Gentlemen's Retreat" to smoke and study the sciences... ...such as how to make electricity on this hand generator . This dining room was used for formal entertaining of guests... ...during which fruits, nuts, and sweets were particularly appreciated. Lady Henrietta Sanford had her own bedroom... ...as did Henry. This kitchen was located on the lower level of the house. Because the kitchen was in constant use, it was hard to regulate the heat within this confined space. Even passage ways were put to good use. Because the housekeepr's role was to organize everything and to pay bills, she often had her own room near the kitchen. The servants would take all their meals in this hall. I could almost see Mr. Carson of Downton Abbey sitting at the head of this table passing out the day's instructions. An all-purpose room off of the main kitchen area, known as the Scullery, was used for ironing... ...storing food... ...and washing pots and pans. One unique feature of this house was this well pump that would send water to the upper parts of the house.
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Carl and Lorraine Aveni are two retirees planning on traveling through Europe for at least one year.
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