holiday new forest
holiday new forest, bed and breakfast new forest, self-catering new forest, holiday accommodation, stonehenge, salisbury, avebury, english heritage, national trust, bath, winchester, longleat, stourhead, lacock, holiday vacation new forest
This art gallery and shop is housed in the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, just off the Paragon. Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (24 August 1707 – 17 June 1791) was an English religious leader who played a prominent part in the religious revival of the eighteenth century and the Methodist movement in England and Wales, and has left a Christian denomination (Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion) in England and Sierra Leone. The museum houses a delightful collection of arts and crafts from the 18th and 19th centuries, whilst the shop stocks all manner of unusual crafts, trinkets and gizmos. Opening hours for the British Folk Art Collection vary according to day and time of year, so check in advance. Admission is free.
The Circus was designed by John Wood the Elder, but was completed by his equally famous son John Wood the Younger. The design is a circle made up of three crescents and is said to be based on the Coliseum in Rome. At the time this was the first fully circular street in Britain and so it was viewed by many as a considerable achievement. It is well worth looking closely at the detail of the architecture, in particular the frieze that commemorates the achievements of the day. The columns on the facade are also interesting, for all three types of classical column are represented - Doric on street level, Ionic in the middle and Corinthian at the top. Among several famous residents who have lived on the circus, the artists Thomas Gainborough lived at number 17 and William Pitt the Elder at Number 8. Nearby to the Circus is the equally famous Royal Crescent, also well worth a visit for its Georgian architecture.
The bridge was built in the 1770s and was designed by Robert Adam, it takes its name from the man who commissioned it to be built, William Pulteney. It is based on the equally well-photographed Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence. And it is architecturally significant in the fact that it is the only bridge in the whole of Britain to still have shops built on it. The north side of the bridge is a mass of storerooms and run down out buildings, and viewed from this side you may wonder what all the fuss is about. But if you view it from the south side, you are bound to appreciate its attraction. This side underwent restoration work in the 1970s and so it has gained back some of its former beauty. The south side of the bridge is especially pretty when viewed at night, as it is usually floodlit after dark.
Designed by John Wood the Younger in 1767, it is a classic example of elegant Georgian architecture. Plaques on the house fronts remember famous past residents of the street, which include Elizabeth Linley and Isaac Pitman. There is a huge lawn to the front of the crescent which is very unusual for Bath where space has always been at a premium. And the houses also have the luxury of excellent views across the Royal Victoria Park and beyond. These, combined with the sweeping lines of the houses on the crescent, have ensured that this is one of the most photographed streets in the city.
The house at number 1 in the crescent is now a National Trust property and has been restored with original Georgian fittings and furnishings. The house is open daily except Mondays, but times vary according to season so check in advance. Admission costs around £4 for adults.
A museum of East Asian Art is somewhat unexpected in such an archetypal Georgian town as Bath. However it is definitely worth a visit - and not just as an antidote to the huge amount of Georgiana on display elsewhere. It is situated on Bennett Place, just off the eastern side of The Circus. The collection was put together by the Bath born lawyer Brian McElney, who lived and worked in Hong Kong for many years. |