City (pop., 1995 est.: 84,000), southwestern England.
Situated on the River Avon , it was founded as Aquae Sulis by the Romans, who were attracted to its hot mineral springs. The Anglo-Saxons arrived in the 6th century AD, followed by the Normans с 1100. In the Middle Ages it was a prosperous centre for the cloth trade. When the Roman baths were rediscovered in 1755, Bath had already revived as a spa; its popularity is reflected in the works of Jane Austen , Richard Brinsley Sheridan , and Tobias Smollett . It was rebuilt and extended in the Palladian style during the 18th century. Bath today retains many of its 18th-century structures.