More than a Spa Resort? The Urban Experience in Bath since the Reformation

Bath is a city in need of historical reappraisal. Much historiography focuses on the city as a spa resort and the personalities involved in its development, but little has been written on the residential population and links between them and the visitors. Bath attracted entrepreneurs and young people with the offer of employment opportunities and education. Could the city be seen as a centre for commerce and education outside London? The city was also a centre of conversation and opinion with many spaces set aside for sociability and display. How did these social networks develop and how were they maintained? The relationship between Bath and the rest of country also needs to be addressed. Was the city a trend follower or a trend setter? How did Bath stand in relation to London and other main towns?

To explore these issues, Bath Spa University is hosting an international symposium on 24 April 2010.

Featuring keynote speakers: Prof. Rosemary Sweet (Head of History, University of Leicester) and Prof. Peter Borsay (Aberystwyth University)