The Best of Bath
17th December 2015
Although I travelled down to Bath for the weekend to visit the Christmas market (and my brother) I ended up spending much of my time admiring the famous limestone. Since I’ve started working for Floors of Stone I find myself looking at natural stone and assessing its features/being “nerdy” about tiles in general. I’ve been informed I have become (as we like to call it in the office) a “stone bore”!
The native limestone of Bath is an oolitic limestone which is made up of calcium carbonate granular fragments and it has the distinctive golden tones associated with the ancient, spa town.
I visited the beautiful Roman Baths and was able to see the use of limestone through the ages. When the Romans invaded Britain, they made use of the natural hot spring in Bath and built a bathing complex/spa. In the late 18th and late 19th centuries the baths were modified – for each modification made the Bath Limestone was used. In the photo below you can see the difference between the base of the columns and the columns themselves. The base is original to when the Romans built the spa whereas the columns and structure upwards were added at later dates.
That evening we went to the Real Italian Pizza Company for dinner which was delicious – authentic Italian pizza never disappoints. We then headed to the Canary Gin Bar where we tried an array of gins, all served in rounded martini glasses, accompanied by different fruits or herbs. For anyone who loves gin, like I do, this is a must visit for you. My favourite gin was a floral based gin which the mixologist recommended – it was even served with rose petals!
The next day we visited Bath Abbey which was truly spectacular. The gothic architecture and extremely high ceiling with fan vaulting added to the dramatic effect of the Abbey. The organist began playing a traditional hymn and the melody reverberated around the Abbey, reinforcing its impressive nature. The Abbey is, of course, built with the native Bath Limestone.
If you would like to create a similar look to the famous Bath Limestone then our English Limestone, although a little paler, has the same warm tones which are very sought after. It is a lovely stone to use in an older property as it looks like an original feature. However, you could also use the stone in a newer property in order to add some character. It is a hand finished tile with a lightly dressed edge and has a smooth exposed grain which enhances its authentic, aged look.
If you would like a sample, please head to our website where you can select four free samples. If you need any more inspiration, make sure you visit Bath – it’s well worth a visit!
