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017/The Circus Bath England
The 33 houses of Britain's first circular street each display three types of classical column: Doric (ground floor), Ionic (middle floor) and Corinthian (top floor). The 513 different motifs at first floor level, depicting aspects of the arts, sciences and occupations, are thought to be either masonic symbols - Wood was an ardent freemason - or images taken from a fortune telling book! Acorns on the roof could relate to Bladud or a tribute to the glorious Druid culture that Wood believed thrived in pre-Roman Bath and for whom the oak was sacred. The centre, now occupied by plane trees, was originally a reservoir supplying the houses with water. Famous former residents of the Circus include the Elder Pitt (Nos 7 and 8) who successfully plotted the defeat of the French in Canada and India, the artist Gainsborough (N0. 17), Clive of India (No. 14), the explorer Livingstone (No. 13) and the writer Thackeray.
