Bath was built around a spring by the Romans in about 70 AD. It became a healing centre dedicated to the Celtic god Sullis and a Roman goddess Minerva but fell into disuse in the 5th century.

A monastery was built at Bath in the 8th century and was the place where King Edgar was crowned in 973. In 1093 the Bishop of Wells made Bath Abbey his cathedral. The present abbey was rebuilt in the 16th century. At this time Bath became a cloth-manufacturing town and new baths were built.

Most of the town was built in the 18th century. The Circus (1754-70) and Royal Crescent (1767-75) by John Wood, Landsdown Crescent (1789-93) by John Palmer, and the Palladian (1769-74) by Robert Adam.