Roman Baths at Bath, England

 Tonight, I am posting a brief report on the Roman Baths at Bath, S.W. England. This public facility was originally constructed around AD 60 and was in use through to the end of Roman rule in AD410, possibly longer.

At the heart of the facility is one of the few hot water springs in the British Isles.


 Image of the Great Bath

Key features are set out below.

  • The Roman Spring which was formed by surrounding the natural spring with an irregular stone chamber lined with lead. In the second century it was enclosed with a barrel vaulted building.
  • The Temple, which was dedicated to the Roman goddess, Sulis Minerva.
  • The Temple courtyard, a sacred area surrounding the Temple.
  • The Great Bath, a pool lined with fort five sheets of lead and filled with hot spring water. This was once contained within a barrel-vaulted hall rising to a height of forty metres. The bath is 1.6m deep.
  • The East Baths which contained heated rooms, swimming pools and changing rooms.

This facility was probably patronised by the elite (who used slaves to guard personal possessions whilst availing of the various experiences) and/or the military when on R&R.

Here is a video clip of the Great Bath.


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