Bust! How the Builders of Georgian Bath went Bankrupt

For the builders of Georgian Bath the 1793 collapse of the Bath Banks saw grand schemes for the expansion of the city come crashing to a halt.

In the aftermath of the banking crisis the buildings that emerged were less reliant on the whims of the social elite making short trips to Bath for their pleasure. As industry grew and society and economy changed, lodging houses began to be replaced by family homes and the Neo-Classical style came to Bath.

This exhibition explores the impact of the financial collapse on Georgian Bath, and reveals how after the townhouse terraces of the 18th century died out the villas of the 19th century were born.