Europe, British Isles, South-West England, Somerset, Bath [Map]

300BC. Solsbury Hill, Somerset [Map] is a 191m hill overlooking Bath [Map] on which an Iron Age , occupied between 300BC and 100BC, is located.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1106. At Easter was the king (age 38) at Bath [Map], and at Pentecost at Salisbury [Map]; because he would not hold his court when he was beyond the sea.

In 1614 Robert Killigrew (age 34) was elected MP Helston at Bath [Map].

In 1621 Robert Pye (age 36) was elected MP Bath.

In 1624 Robert Pye (age 39) was elected MP Bath and Heytesbury.

Evelyn's Diary. 20 May 1639. Accompanied with one Mr. J. Crafford (who afterward being my fellow-traveler in Italy, there changed his religion), I took a journey of pleasure to see the Somersetshire baths [Map], Bristol, Gloucestershire [Map], Cirencester, Gloucestershire [Map], Malmesbury, Wiltshire [Map], Abington, and divers other towns of lesser note; and returned the 25th.

Evelyn's Diary. 27 Jun 1654. We all went to see Bath [Map], where I bathed in the cross bath. Among the rest of the idle diversions of the town, one musician was famous for acting a changeling, which indeed he personated strangely.

Pepy's Diary. 11 Aug 1663. After the Queen (age 24) is come back she goes to the Bath [Map]; and so to Oxford, Oxfordshire [Map], where great entertainments are making for her.

Pepy's Diary. 25 Aug 1663. To-morrow they say the King (age 33) and the Duke (age 29) set out for the Bath [Map].

Pepy's Diary. 26 Aug 1663. Up, and after doing something in order to the putting of my house in order now the joynery is done, I went by water to White Hall, where the Court full of waggons and horses, the King (age 33) and Court going this day out towards the Bath [Map], and I to St. James's, where I spent an hour or more talking of many things to my great content with Mr. Coventry (age 35) in his chamber, he being ready to set forth too with the Duke (age 29) to-day, and so left him, and I meeting Mr. Gauden, with him to our offices and in Sir W. Pen's (age 42) chamber did discourse by a meeting on purpose with Mr. Waith about the victualling business and came to some issue in it.

Pepy's Diary. 31 Aug 1663. This noon came Jane Gentleman to serve my wife as her chamber mayde. I wish she may prove well. So ends this month, with my mind pretty well in quiett, and in good disposition of health since my drinking at home of a little wine with my beer; but no where else do I drink any wine at all. The King (age 33) and Queen (age 24) and the Court at the Bath [Map], my Lord Sandwich (age 38) in the country newly gone.

Pepy's Diary. 14 Jun 1668. Sunday. Up, and walked up and down the town [Map], and saw a pretty good market-place, and many good streets, and very fair stone-houses. And so to the great Church [Map], and there saw Bishop Montagu's tomb¹ and, when placed, did there see many brave people come, and, among others, two men brought in, in litters, and set down in the chancel to hear: but I did not know one face. Here a good organ; but a vain, pragmatical fellow preached a ridiculous, affected sermon, that made me angry, and some gentlemen that sat next me, and sang well.

Note 1. James Montagu, Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1608, and of Winchester in 1616-died 1618. He was uncle to the Earl of Sandwich, whose mother was Pepys's aunt. Hence Pepys's curiosity respecting the tomb. B.

In 1669 Francis Popham (age 23) was elected MP Bath.

Evelyn's Diary. 21 Sep 1674. I went to see the great loss that Lord Arlington (age 56) had sustained by fire at Goring House [Map], this night consumed to the ground, with exceeding loss of hangings, plate, rare pictures, and cabinets; hardly anything was saved of the best and most princely furniture that any subject had in England. My lord (age 56) and lady (age 40) were both absent at the Bath [Map].

In 1681 Maurice Berkeley 3rd Viscount Fitzhardinge (age 52) was elected MP Bath.

Evelyn's Diary. 27 Jun 1702. I went to Wotton, Surrey [Map] with my family for the rest of the summer, and my son-in-law, Draper, with his family, came to stay with us, his house at Addiscombe being new-building, so that my family was above thirty. Most of the new Parliament were chosen of Church of England principles, against the peevish party. The Queen (age 37) was magnificently entertained at Oxford and all the towns she passed through on her way to Bath [Map].

In 1790 Thomas Thynne 2nd Marquess of Bath (age 24) was elected MP Bath.

In 1837 Richard Wingfield 6th Viscount Powerscourt (age 21) was elected MP Bath which seat he held until 1841.

Diary of a Dean by Merewether. 01 Aug 1849. Aug. 1st. The next day was to witness the assemblage of the neighbourhood to inspect Silbury; and this very picturesque event I have already described in the former paper. Our party occupied the morning, till the time of repairing to Silbury, in visiting the barrows lying near Beckhampton, between the Caine and Devizes roads. In some of these, very curious urns and remains had been discovered, some of which I shall describe hereafter; but most appeared to have been disturbed. One high up on the hill in the northern direction was examined, but without success. It would be an indication of ungrateful disrespect —for it could not he forgetfulness —were I to omit, though briefly, to record the employment of the evening of this day, and the route we took; albeit it were well to start somewhat earlier than we did, specially if so splendid a moon as conducted us home might not be reckoned upon. But then, as we had been very fully occupied during the day, some regard was needful to he had toward such discoveries as we might be able to make at the Archæological Hotel, calculated to recruit our exhausted strength, which being satisfactorily accomplished, we proceeded with a very docile pair of horses and driver, both desiderata in such an expedition, first to Oldbury Castle [Map], a splendid position, overlooking the rich vale of Caine, Chippenham, Christian Malford, and Malmsbury, and bearing in its entrenchments the characteristics of Roman occupation, enlarged possibly at some time on the south-west side, but very possibly having been previously a British position, and even subsequently occupied by later warriors. I possess an iron spear-head, and one of those curious circular stones with a hole in the centre, found here. Thence we cut across the down towards the Roman road, the Via Badonica leading from Cunetio [Map] to Aquæ-solis [Map], and which, on arriving at Silbury Hill, which it would otherwise have cut at one-third of its base, deflects its course. We cannot boast that any of the dii deœque minors much less Diana herself, Bivia, Trivia, or whatever she might here have been called of old, were very propitious to us; though, in truth, she made ample amende by her bright guidance, when it was subsequently so much needed. The devotees of Ceres had strangely cut up this ancient road; so that, to traverse it with its full complement was not so easy a matter, either to the wheels of our vehicle, to the poor animals who had to draw it, or, indeed, to its occupants; to say nothing of the conductor. So that we traced the ancient way on foot, and were ready, not unneeded, to replace in its vertical position our tottering and almost subverted equipage, at a spot where the descent to Calston below would have been facile enough per saltum, or per volutationem, for the road in this part runs on the very edge of the abrupt and steep precipice of the hill. After some time spent in these corrective and directive pursuits, having fairly landed the really patient driver on the turf, to seek in advance the summit of the hill, we again became viatores in the strict sense of the word, and in its cognate road, until we reached its junction with the famous Wansdyke, the high vallum of which, in most places from 30 to 40 ft. high, is here and for a considerable distance cut down to fill up the foss and form the road. From this point our explorations were by moonlight, bright as day; we had every reason to be grateful for the propitious aid; by it we traced the some what sinuous range of the Wansdyke; I marked, after thirty years' absence, a barrow almost on its bank, which I had meis manibus excavated some 7 or 8 ft. in depth, finding one solitary glass bead (N), which I still possess. The Wansdyke, ere it makes its turn to the right by Shepherd's shore, forms, without any apparent reason, two right angles; and its trench at this point is very deep, and its vallum marvellously high and steep. From hence we were reluctantly obliged, having succeeded in finding our equipage, to return towards Silbury. Some of our party (and one was a lady, precious as an Archmologist and deserving of all our consideration, as well as her excellent brother) had to return the same night to Marlborough. The plain over which we travelled possesses some earthworks worthy of inspection, especially one enclosing, with an approaching avenue to it, some curious barrows. Towards the right Wansdyke boldly ascends the downs to Tan Hill; some say St. Ann's, others the Hill of Tanaris. The whole of this range is replete with exceeding interest, and Madlv should I be the conductor once more of the whole Archæological Institute amidst its varied treasures.

In 1873 Arthur Egerton 3rd Earl Wilton (age 40) was elected MP Bath which seat he held until 1874.

The Roman Road from Silchester to Bath connected Silchester, Hampshire [Map] with Bath [Map] via Speen, Newbury [Map], Cunetio Roman Town [Map], Verlucio Roman Town [Map] and Lacock [Map] where it crossed the Wiltshire River Avon.