Now & then: Bath in the 1850s vs today

This free walk is one of the events to mark the Bicentenary of Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution and the 90th Anniversary of The Mayor of Bath’s Honorary Guides.

In the 1850s Reverend Francis Lockey was in the vanguard of using photographic negatives to capture early, and now historically important, images of Bath.

In this walk we will explore some of these locations and compare them to how they looked in the 1850-60s. We will look at two medieval buildings before widening our walk to explore views from the city’s riverbank, canal and locks, and Widcombe Street.

For more on Lockey, our book Bath In Camera 1849-1861 is illustrated with fascinating photographs of nineteenth century Bath – see here for details.

Please note that the walk is along part of the canal towpath which can be muddy after rain. There are three flights of steps to negotiate to and from the river and canal. The walk starts at the historic Huntsman Pub and finishes at BRLSI where you can explore the World Revealed exhibition.

Booking via Eventbrite is essential – please go to the Book Tickets button for more details. We have two other Mayor’s Guides walks for you to enjoy this summer: I See No Ships: Nelson & Bath and Canals, coalmines and the science of geology.