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…

Grew up there don’t really get what you are talking about
It was certainly nicer in the 70s than now though , felt much smaller than now

@belinda789

I am utterly convinced the Cheddar Gorge is a place that demands human sacrifice. The human bones found in the caves had signs of butchery and are thought to have been sacrificed.

The gorge claims a life every few years or so in accidents - often accidents which leave you wondering how on earth they could possibly have happened.

Now we no longer offer human sacrifices it is taking them itself

@EnthusiasmIsDisturbed I felt the same! It went beyond ‘not liking’.

I live outside of Bath but have children at school in bath so in there a lot.

I always think Bath has a nice atmosphere as being in a valley it tends to stay warmer than surrounding areas and the honey coloured stone makes it a very attractive place.

However, agree that in recent times the centre is becoming a very sad place. So much homelessness, shops closing etc. But it is a weird bubble of a place. It is not at all cosmopolitan and I think that can add to the atmosphere of strangeness for people who come from bigger cities.

I guess it has an air of faded gentility so not terribly youthful or dynamic.

Teignmouth for me been twice during holidays to Devon and really disliked it felt quite trapped there even though I’m sure it’s a nice place .

ds1 and his wife live in Bristol so are basically only down the road. Neither of them are keen on Bath despite the beauty of the place and the quality of the pubs and tea rooms. They can't exactly say why either. I don't get a sense of wrongness about Bath but I seriously can't be doing with Glastonbury and I'm pretty damned woo. But apart from the Tor, I find the place strangely menacing rather than magical.

Glastonbury is infested with smackheads and, until recently, a large gang supplying such There's also a huge (as in greater than average) heroin problem in Hastings, Bath, Totnes and Teignmouth (also had a huge drugs gang arrested recently).

It's not hard to pick up on the atmosphere from a significant proportion of people around you looking for means to buy their next fix.

Glastonbury is coming up a lot. Must be something going on.

The maternity bit of Leeds general infirmary gives me an uneasy feeling. Especially at night. No thanks 😬

I don't like the West Country at all. I know that much of Devon and Cornwall is objectively beautiful to look at but it doesn't feel healthy or happy at all to me. I particularly dislike Exeter.

The radon thing is interesting! I felt a bit like this in Bath but the place I've felt it most strongly is Harrogate - which on paper I should have loved. I lived in York for a year and found it interesting and atmospheric but always felt happy and comfortable there. I visited Harrogate twice in that time and both times couldn't wait to leave. I absolutely hated it, and note with interest it is a radon hotspot!

My ex boyfriend broke my heart in Bath. I dislike it immensely for that reason

I had family who lived in Bath. Whenever I visited it drained me emotionally. It is like Dementors hover there for me. It makes me depressed within days of being there. My grandmother (who lived there and loved it) said the place did affect some people in that way because of the negative energy that gets trapped in the valley. My mum lived there for years too and was depressed but she's been depressed most of her life though. Beautiful place but no thanks.

@AliceInBlunderland13 do you also post in another forum? I’ve heard someone say exactly the same thing about Bath.

For me it is Hastings, but that’s because it was a very difficult period of my life. Wouldn’t visit again for all the tea in China.

Princes risborough for me.
Oppressive
Felt so odd

Glastonbury disliker here. So excited to go. Couldn't wait to leave. At first just felt a strong feeling of anticipation. Something going to happen. Turned into oppressive menace.

Isle of Weight was a bit weird. Blackgang chine.

I took my undergrad and PGCE in Bath. It’s beautiful, but exhausting, and busy. I think because I’m naturally quite introverted it did affect my mental health, though I wouldn’t have changed to another university for all the world. I did find after a few months I preferred to travel home on a Friday night and go back Sunday night, rather than get swept up in the mad student weekends.
Perhaps the exhaustion got to you?

Eek - Buxton is dark red on that radon map! (cue twilight zone music)
No wonder I get the willies there - I’m convinced the locals are all aliens in human-skin bodies

No wonder I get the willies there - I’m convinced the locals are all aliens in human-skin bodies

I work in Buxton and am inclined to agree with you. I live in Macclesfield and have to do the “cat and fiddle” drive over which can be either incredibly bleak and depressing, or beautiful and awe inspiring depending on the weather/my mood.

I've seen a few posts on here saying similar about the south west OP. Glastonbury is often mentioned. Some say it's something to do with lay(?) lines?
I felt Bristol had a similar off vibe.

Lived ( Walcot) and worked in Bath for a couple of years.
Lovely work colleagues, but could not settle there at all, and I've worked in different cities. Bath just never felt quite right.

York-I always felt fine there.

Harrogate always felt blah to me too, but Bath was a strange vibe.
I used to shiver walking past a couple of little old houses, even in the day time. .

Walsingham in Norfolk, freaked me and my daughter out. It feels oppressive and dead, like something awful happened there. We walked round for a bit, looked at each other and realised we both wanted to leave ASAP. We make an effort to avoid it whenever we are visiting Norfolk now.

I’ve been to Bath a couple of times and did find it a bit strange. I thought I would love it but I didn’t. I didn’t not like it but I have no desire to really go back (although we don’t live near there anymore so wouldn’t be a first choice geographically to visit anyway).

I felt it lacked cohesion - it has so much history it was overwhelming.
It all seemed very separate. We visited the German Christmas shop/cafe, the Roman baths, went to a Jane Austin costume exhibition, then did a pretty boring bus tour that seemed to never end, then had dinner at a very weirdly empty restaurant, then stayed at a manky travel lodge. Really odd experiences. Perhaps the eras all compete with each other to give a confusing feeling of not belonging?

I get a similar feeling when visiting York.

Walsingham is an odd place. People all looked the same somehow - same expressions.

Loved Bath!