▁is ▁among ▁the ▁oldest ▁al m sh ouses ▁in ▁England . ▁The ▁ 2 ▁store y ▁Bath ▁stone ▁building ▁has ▁a ▁heavy ▁ground ▁floor ▁ar cade ▁of ▁round - head ed ▁arch es ▁on ▁pill ars , ▁and ▁retain s ▁its ▁original ▁window ▁m ould ings ▁and ▁s ash es . ▁Building ▁work ▁continued ▁after ▁ 1 7 2 7 ▁under ▁the ▁ 2 3 - year - old ▁John ▁Wood , ▁the ▁E lder , ▁his ▁first ▁commission ▁in ▁Bath . ▁ ▁Georg ian ▁▁ ▁The ▁dominant ▁style ▁of ▁architecture ▁in ▁central ▁Bath ▁is ▁Georg ian ; ▁this ▁evol ved ▁from ▁the ▁P all ad ian ▁rev ival ▁style ▁which ▁became ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁purpose ▁of ▁much ▁of ▁Bath ' s ▁architecture ▁is ▁conce aled ▁by ▁the ▁h oney - col oured ▁classical ▁fa ç ades ; ▁in ▁an ▁era ▁before ▁the ▁advent ▁of ▁the ▁lux ury ▁hotel , ▁these ▁apparently ▁elegant ▁resid ences ▁were ▁frequently ▁purpose - built ▁lod ging ▁houses , ▁where ▁visitors ▁could ▁h ire ▁a ▁room , ▁a ▁floor , ▁or ▁( acc ording ▁to ▁their ▁means ) ▁an ▁entire ▁house ▁for ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁their ▁visit , ▁and ▁be ▁waited ▁on ▁by ▁the ▁house ' s ▁commun al ▁servants . ▁ ▁The ▁architect s ▁John ▁Wood , ▁the ▁E lder ▁and ▁his ▁son ▁John ▁Wood , ▁the ▁Young er ▁laid ▁out ▁the ▁new ▁qu arters ▁in ▁streets ▁and ▁squares , ▁the ▁identical ▁fa ç ades ▁of ▁which