To ask for your experiences with Bath/strange atmospheres

[AliceInBlunderland13]

Semi-regular poster but I’ve name changed for this as the details could be quite outing. Also not really an AIBU but posting for traffic and all that…
There have been two periods in my life when I have lived and/or worked in the city of Bath, Somerset and I’ve experienced problems with my mental health on both occasions. The first was right after I finished by undergraduate degree in London and I moved to Bath to do a Masters at the university. I started in the October and by Christmas I was experiencing terrible panic attacks and depression. I did manage to complete the course but as soon as I finished I ended the tenancy on my flat early and moved back home. I then worked in my home town for a few years, during which time I had no problems with my mental health. Then I decided to do a PhD and took a position again at the uni in Bath. This time I didn’t move there but instead moved to a nearby town and commuted in. Yet again within a couple of months of being there I began experiencing daily panic attacks, terrible anxiety and feelings of dissociation, and depression. I tried to stick it out (had counselling, on meds etc) but I still felt utterly miserable so I recently quit the course and found a new job in another town.
Even after having counselling, I’ve never truly got to the bottom of what triggers these episodes. Logically, it could be stress related as both a Masters and a PhD are obviously a lot of work but then I dealt with the stresses of my undergraduate course just fine, and the job I had between my Masters and PhD was high-stress and I loved it – in fact I used to think I worked best with a bit of pressure.
Then the other day, I was reading an old thread on here (bored while I wait to start my new job ) about places people found creepy. Several people mentioned that they didn’t like Bath or that it had an odd atmosphere – I think one poster described it as ‘melancholy’. Now normally I’m very rational and logical (except when the anxiety takes over ) and wouldn’t give it a second thought, but I couldn’t help wondering if anyone has any experience of feeling anxious/down in a particular place, or if anyone else has felt this ‘atmosphere’ in Bath? I know some will say it’s a load of pish but I guess I’m just interested in other people’s experiences really…

The Isle of Wight feels like being in an episode of ‘tales of the unexpected’ to me. I point blank refuse to go there.

I love Bath but agree with a pp about Hastings having a vibe that feels a bit menacing.

Tunbridge Wells and Buxton are both fine though, although I've yet to find a decent pub in Buxton.

I don't like Brighton, imo it has a feeling that something unpleasant could kick off at any minute. It puts me quite on edge. Unfortunately, it's the nearest place to me for serious shopping, so I go there several times a year.

I recently visited High Rocks and it felt oppressive to me too, beautiful gardens but even thinking about it is giving me the shivers.

Agree with Isle of Wight, it feels slightly wrong and sinister. I was driving there and felt really really spooked and genuinely relieved to arrive in the ASDA car park unscathed.

Not high in radon according to that map.

I've never been to Bath but it does seem to be that some people feel uncomfortable in certain places. Oddly I can't think of anywhere I felt really bad without a reason.

I know Bath well (born there, grew up in Somerset and went to school in Bath - also went back to do my masters there). Often visit family.

I don't particularly like it - too posh and busy for me these days - and get a bit eye-rolly at the people who rave about how lucky I was to grow up there - but don't find it creepy.

However I do wonder about the - literal - atmosphere. Nestled in a dip within the hills, I think the air can be quite oppressive and pollution sort of gets 'caught'. Also the limestone dust as mentioned by a pp. I've known several people with asthma/other respiratory stuff find that their condition got noticably worse there (or, conversely, improved when they loved away).

Maybe that was affecting you somehow?

Interesting thread this!! I've only been to Bath once but loved it. I do, however, feel like this about a place in Cornwall: Carlyon Bay / Charleston / Par area, near Heligan and Eden Project. Objectively and on the face of it, it's a beautiful area. Rest of my family loved it when we stayed there for a few days while on holiday a few years ago. But I just got some really strange vibes there, I felt out of sorts and ratty all the time (and no, I wasn't coming on...!!). Can't explain it.

I am in a high radon area but nobody seems to ever find it creepy.
Glastonbury makes me feel really strange. I like Bath a lot, but I can understand the “melancholy “ it does have that feeling.

Spookiest/weird place in the world - West Wycombe. Just felt like I was in the middle of a horror movie set. Atmosphere was scary and oppressive.

I can’t stand going to Bude, Cornwall every time I’ve been there I’ve began to feel really anxious and agitated and had to leave as quickly as possible. No idea why, I just avoid the place now

I visited Bath January 2019 for a few days. Lovely place! Certainly didn't make me feel gloomy, quite the opposite in fact after a rather sad festive period.

There's a few places I find creepy. Totnes is really odd, but it's on a ley line, so I think a lot of people find it wierd. Glastonbury is also on a ley line, I like the energy there, but cant stay too long as it's intense.

There's a village near where I live that I really find creepy and have done ever since I was a child. I'm convinced something awful happened to me there in a past life.

Yes OP!!!

Bath. We visited to help my cousin settle in to university. I have never been so disappointed. I had heard so much about it. I was excited. The excitement vanished.

There's a strange energy about it. The place is sad, mourning. I have never felt like that anywhere else it has a dead deserted vibe even though there are people everywhere. I honestly felt like I must be the only person who left not getting what was great about it. It definitely has a melancholy feel. It is very off. You know what? It felt like it wasn't quite real. Batshit I know, but true.

Sorry this is a woo answer. But I'm not a woo person at all. I even spent ages combing the web to see if I was the only person that felt that way and only found glowing reviews. I'm so glad you posted (none of this is remotely scientific)

Maybe there's some seriosly hacked off water nymphs cursing and calling us all CFs.

Honestly, OP, I don't think I know anyone who didn't have some form of minor nervous breakdown (at a minimum) during their postgraduate work, especially their doctorate -- I don't think an undergraduate degree or a high-stress job are any basis for comparison.

I do think some places suit individuals better than others, but I don't think Bath caused your MH problems, or only in the sense that you already had negative associations with the place by the time you went back there for your PhD.

St Mabyn in Cornwall
Closely followed by St Just, both very creepy even on the sunniest of days.
One of my sons freaked out so badly at Taize in France that we had to leave (we were just passing and had stopped to break our journey). He was about 7 at the time and said the ghosts were watching him. He has never said anything remotely woo, before or since.

The radon map is fascinating. It's kind of middling where I live, but gets high towards places DH loves to go nearby. I hate them and feel they're really oppressive, for no tangible reason.
I don't much like Bath either, and he loves it. I should probably send him on his own.

Oh I'm fascinated by this! I'm going to Bath soon, I'll see how I feel.

I love Bath I have been there quite a few times. I find Glastonbury town unpleasant I think there are a lot of people there giving off bad/unsettled vibes. But I love the tor climbing to the top makes me feel energised

Interesting that opinion is quite split on Bath! I've seen Glastonbury mentioned quite a lot as somewhere people aren't keen on - my parents have been and really liked it but I'd love to go myself and see how I find it. Interesting too about the Radon gas in some places, including Bath. Goes off to look for papers on Radon gas effects...

How interesting.

Ds recently went to Bath and Bristol. He came back saying he had a weird feeling there he couldn't put his finger on.

I've lived and worked in Bath for 15 years now and really can't understand why people say they love it.

To visit yes but living here it tries to suck the heart and soul out of me. I put it down to the pollution levels and the oppressive feeling of being in the bottom of a bowl surrounded by hills. Everything is trapped here and it feels dull and heavy.

No new initiatives seem to succeed. It's like the place is caught in a time warp, living on past glories while the centre slowly dies.

Bath was alright. I was only there for the day and visited the Roman baths museum. I flooded which was inconvenient.

Glastonbury that only felt hostile because the people were! Visited with the DC and two people said I was parenting wrong by having a child in a buggy (also had one in a sling) and something else completely normal. Weird, judgy folk. And I live in a small village .

I've had exactly the same feeling in Bath OP

There's something very strange about the city that makes me feel very uneasy. My ex's family were Bath born and bred and I couldn't wait to leave when we visited. It has a very opressive atmosphere.

I have to say I feel claustrophobic in hilly areas. Beautiful at the top, but in a valley the hills can be menacing. The fens are equally disturbing but in a desolate, depressing way.

Gently rolling is good (probably because that's home).

Probably just me though .

@VioletCharlotte
I had never been to Totnes before but when I arrived I recognised it as a place I have often visited in dreams. Always the same dream: I am wearing along cloak with a hood and trying not to be seen and feeling afraid. I could not wait to get away from the place. I also felt strangely odd when driving through the Cheddar Gorge. Eerie and nasty...…..