18th Century Town Planning

In the 18th century Bath was re-invented as a fashionable health resort. It expanded dramatically beyond its city walls. Medieval streets were transformed into a spacious and beautiful classical city, where architecture and the natural landscape complemented each other. Uniformity of design was enhanced with the universal use of the locally mined honey-coloured limestone for which Bath is famed.

Innovative forms of town planning including squares, crescents and the circus were introduced. Attractive views and vistas were deliberately created. Bath's Georgian town planning influenced subsequent developments in the UK and beyond.