The Circus

, 1773]] The Circus, originally called the King's Circus, was designed by the architect John Wood, the Elder. Convinced that Bath had been the principal centre of Druid activity in Britain, Wood surveyed Stonehenge, which has a diameter of 325 ft at the outer earth bank, and designed the Circus with a 318 ft diameter to mimic this. Wood died less than three months after the first stone was laid; his son, John Wood, the Younger, completed the project to his father's design. The initial leases for the south west segment were granted in 1755–1767, for the south east segment in 1762–1766, and for the north segment in 1764–1766. The Circus was part of John Wood the Elder's grand vision to…

Three Classical orders (Greek Doric, Roman/Composite and Corinthian) are used, one above the other, in the elegant curved façades. The frieze of the Doric entablature is decorated with alternating triglyphs and 525 pictorial emblems, including serpents, nautical symbols, devices representing the arts and sciences, and Masonic symbols. The parapet is adorned with stone acorn finials. When viewed from the air, the Circus, along with Queen Square and the adjoining Gay Street, form a key shape, which is a masonic symbol similar to those that adorn many of Wood's buildings. The central area was originally paved with stone setts, covering a reservoir in the centre that supplied water to the…