BATH, SOMERSET
The hot spring in Bath was in use long before the Romans arrived in Britain in 43 CE; a local tribe had been worshipping a goddess they called Sulis there for many years. The Romans did go on to build a huge bathing complex, fed by that same hot spring. But it was much later, during King George III’s reign in the 18th century, that Bath finally transformed into England’s most popular spa town. Today, the city’s best-known landmarks include the Roman Baths, an ancient complex of pools where Romans bathed while paying their respects to Sulis Minerva, the goddess of healing. Artefacts on display include a bronze statue of the deity.