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N°165
live in a 1NESCO 7orld eritage
Site (7 S), arriving in the city a
year after it Üas aÜarded this ho-
nour in £nÇ. 7 S status Üas gi-
ven for five reasons: its surrounding
among green hillsÆ the eorgian
toÜn plan, devised by £nth century archi-
tects ohn 7ood and sonÆ the Palladian
architecture of the 7oods and their suc-
cessorsÆ the thermal Üater - the only hot
Üater spa in the country, and the Roman
aths. To remain a 7 S, our heritage
must remain intact, but Ühen Üealth and
job-creating enterprises disappear, it can
be threatened.
Once this city had a prosperous industrial
base. 7e had a huge Victorian engineering
company, Ühose cranes Üere sold Üorld-
Üide and tÜo important local railÜays.
There Üas a corset factory, Ühere the or-
sa glider Üas built during 77Ó, a large
printing business and the Ministry of De-
fence, relocated here in £3. All these
concerns provided life-time Üor for the
men, Üomen and school-leavers of the ci-
ty: Üe are left Üith runel’s reat 7estern
RailÜay. Adding to the problem Üas the
litz of £4Ó that destroyed great sÜathes
of historic housing, opening the door to
tasteless re-development, and the arrival
of the university in £ÇÈ. The massive
changes resulting from all this shoÜed in
the property maret. ousing built for the
factory and railÜay employees, Ühose fa-
milies had lived and Üored in the city for
generations, had a noc-on effect as it
became accommodation for the students.
This Üas folloÜed by people priced out of
the London property maret re-locating to
the eorgian houses, folloÜed again by a
spurt of holiday „buy-to-let“. The city
emerged from a commercially thriving past
to a leisured present, Üith property prices
roceting but no infrastructure to support
essential services. And noÜ, Üith changing
shopping habits, even the retail business,
the foundation of the old city’s Üealth, is
diminishing and shops lie empty.
Alfred the reat made the city one of his
„burghs,“ beginning its trading history.
Originally a small Üalled toÜn, its positi-
on gave it strategic importance. The spe-
cialist cloth produced by the mons, and
the flourishing marets made us prospe-
rous even in £xää - one reason Ühy our
theatrical history is so illustrious: travel-
ling players Üere encouraged by the city
fathers Üho oÜned the hostelries! During
the £nth century, there Üere hundreds of
shops lining the closely aligned streets of-
fering a Üealth of choice for the beau
monde Üho came to spend their guineas,
enjoy the social life and drin the spa Üa-
ter. Throughout the £th and early Óäth
century Üe Üere still famous for our retail
provision, Üith gentry from the shires flo-
cing to buy the luxury goods along Üith
the everyday essentials.
y the time I arrived, most of this had dis-
appeared, but individual businesses, some
of them reminiscent of the time Ühen hou-
seholds needed nife-grinding and gun-
cleaning services, Üere tuced aÜay in
narroÜ streets, and the city still had its
faintly old-fashioned charm. radually, as
leases expired and business rates rose,
they also disappeared, and glossy shops
selling candles and chocolates appeared.
The department stores, reflecting days
Ühen Üomen Üore hats and gloves to go
shopping, vanished to become chic apart-
ments above high street chains, and in the
uildhall’s covered maret, Ühere once I
bought my meat and vegetables, an expen-
sive tea emporium moved in, folloÜed by
a souvenir outlet and a hairdresser. The
arrival of supermarets, forcing the small
grocers and baers to close, and a moc
Roman shopping mall changed the city yet
again, the final bloÜ to our commercial di-
versity being the charity shop, the nail in
the coffin for traders Ühose families had
made up the very fabric of the toÜn. Our
city centre noÜ resembled high streets
across the country and Üe mourned the
passing of its former originality.
ut Üorse Üas in storeÆ the county boun-
daries changed and Üe lost our autonomy.
As part of an area Üith outlying toÜns and
villages, resources Üere stretched, Ühile
government directives to tacle pollution,
develop cycle paths, discourage cars and
maintain our social services for the ageing
population didn’t help. The council had to
find neÜ Üays for creating Üealth that fit-
ted in Üith our special statusÆ but hoÜ?
Their solution Üas to mae full use of our
heritage, a controversial decisionÆ resi-
dents didn’t Üant Ühat Üas left of their
beautiful city exploited and still don’t.
Although Üe Üere alÜays on the list of im-
portant ritish sights, thousands of visi-
tors „did“ the city by coachÆ they spent no
money and the coaches not only polluted
the narroÜ streets but caused congestion
as they struggled to get round them. 7ee-
end visitors Üere only interested in seeing
the Roman remains and architectural
shoÜpiecesÆ again, not much revenue, and
although school parties toured the Roman
aths, there Üasn’t a dedicated education
programme in place. There Üere other los-
sesÆ the music festival, once a glorious ce-
lebration bringing in thousands of visitors
Üho stayed for the entire tÜo Üees, lost
its appeal, and the Costume Museum fell
out of favour. Not even the thermal Üaters
could be used as the aths had closed in
the Çäs. The days Ühen royalty stayed here
to tae advantage of the healing Üaters
Üere long gone, and locals lost the very
reason for the city’s existence.
The council began to tae steps to address
the problems, some good, some not so
good. Paring restrictions and one-Üay
systems brought protestsÆ but building pro-
grammes to restore run-doÜn areas Üith
restaurants and cafés Üere more accepta-
ble. Museums and art galleries opening
every day Üith free access Üas Üelcomed,
but tall bronze columns Üith coloured
maps of the city, sited aÜÜardly in histo-
ric streets, Üere not.
idden courtyards
offering outdoor eating Üere nice, and the
piazza fronting the railÜay station, Ühere
once there Üere disused stores and Üor-
shops, Üas a definite improvement, alt-
hough the reduced paring caused upset.
ut the neÜ bus station provoed real an-
ger as a £3äs building Üas demolished
and no one lied the replacement designÆ
rebuilding the sixties shopping centre met
Üith cautious approval as the pedestriani-
sation Üas good.
Most eagerly anticipated, hoÜever, Üas
the re-opening of the spa bathing. 1nhap-
pily, architectural innovation proved unfit
for purpose causing lengthy delays, and
the financial loss and resulting laÜsuit rui-
ned the re-opening of Ühat should have
been a Üonderful event.
Other changes focussing on our heritage
included the film and television industry.
The city’s eorgian architecture and the
remaining cobbled lanes, are constantly
used in TV costume dramas, and an office
Üas set up to promote the city. The Costu-
me Museum added designer Üear to its
collection of period clothing, became the
Fashion Museum, and opened a dressing-
up room. The Roman aths Üas develo-
ped Üith actors, visuals and Üalie-talie
information in a dozen languagesÆ a visitor
centre, restaurant and education facilities
are in progress. Residents accepted all the-
se changes and improvements. Less Üel-
come though Üas the burgeoning of pur-
iana ;iÝo
ottor |rom Enland
LiÛin} Üith erita}e