Roman Baths- Bath, United Kingdom

The Roman Baths have had a makeover since my last visit to Bath so I was keen to visit and see what they had to offer. I have to say that I was impressed and really enjoyed my visit, although the hoards of visiting school pupils (French and English) made it harder than I’d have liked to really get into the spirit of the times.

My £11 entry included a free audio guide so although I don’t always bother with these I collected my handset and set off on my tour. The commentary though proved to be excellent, and it has many additional features that complement the main narrative, including observations by Bill Bryson, a separate text for children and additional facts for those who want to learn more about individual areas of the baths or items on display.

The tour takes in several areas of the Roman Baths and the Regency additions, as well as exhibits on the temple to Sulis Minerva which also stood on this site. I particularly liked the Sacred Spring (very atmospheric with the steam rising from it), the pediment from the temple in the museum area (see separate tip), and the fridgidarium, where life-size images of Roman bathers are projected onto the walls to great effect (photo 3).

The centre piece of the complex is the Great Bath, and I enjoyed listening to a guide there explaining how the Romans would have used this as much more than just a place to bathe. Here they would gather to do business, meet their friends and network. It was a place to see and be seen. It was fed with hot water directly from the Sacred Spring and lined with 45 thick sheets of lead. It is 1.6 metres deep and was accessed by four steep steps that entirely surround it. These steps, the flagged paving around it and the bath itself are still intact from Roman times, but the tall columns and higher terrace (including the apparently Roman statues – see photo 4) date from the Victorian era when the Baths were rediscovered after centuries under city streets.

But if the Great Bath is the centre piece, the heart of the complex is the Sacred Spring (photo 2), without which the baths, and arguably the city of Bath, would not exist. Here water at a consistent temperature of 460C still rises as it has done for thousands of years. To the Romans this was a mystical phenomenon, as it was to the Celts who were here before them, and they built a magnificent temple on the site, dedicated to Sulis Minerva, according to their effective custom of integrating the worship of local gods, in this case Sulis, with their own deities. From this came the Roman name for the city, Aquae Sulis: the waters of Sulis. In the museum you can see some of the curses which Romans would etch on pewter discs and throw into the pool to exhort the goddess to punish those they believed had wronged them. Later, in Regency times, bathers would descend to this pool from the Pump Room next door to soak in its mineral-rich water. Today, when you exit the baths, you can go straight into the Pump Room (see separate tip) to experience something of the Regency approach to taking the waters.

The Baths are open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day (26th December). Hours vary according to the time of year, but opening time is either 9.00 or 9.30 AM, and closing around 5.00 PM – but in July and August they remain open until 9.00 PM and I imagine look lovely on a summer evening. The usual £11.00 adult charge is however raised to £11.50 in those months. Concessions include a family ticket at £32.00, £7.20 for children 6-16 and £9.50 for over 65s and students with ID.

UPDATE Sept 2009:
I was recently lucky enough to attend an evening reception here, hosted by the Mayor for a group from a conference of Archivists. The Baths looked magical in the evening light and were nicely illuminated - see photo 5.

Roman Baths, Bath

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Roman Baths, Bath

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