A Birthday in Bath

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my 24th birthday, and decided to spend the day with my family exploring the World Heritage Site of Bath. I have only visited the city once before, although my parents actually met and lived there for several years. We decided to be proper tourists for the day and visit the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.

The view from the terrace

The Roman Baths are the best-preserved example of ancient baths and a temple complex in Northern Europe. Completed in AD 75, the Romans had to control the only thermal springs in the UK. Today, the water still flows through the infrastructure from the first century. The site was considered sacred before the Roman conquest, with the Dobunni (the tribe in that area of Britain in the first century AD), believing the springs sacred to the Goddess Sulis, and the Roman temple dedicated to Sulis Minerva. One of the most famous objects from the Baths is the gilded bronze head from the statue of Minerva from the temple, which is now on display close to where it would have stood nearly 2000 years ago.

One of the artefacts housed in the museum

The Baths now have a large museum around them, with many different rooms full of objects discovered from the excavations, telling the history of the Roman Baths. You are mostly led around by a free audio guide, which also has a section for kids, and additional dialogue from the author Bill Bryson. I was surprised by just how much there was to see!

Archaeological remains 

There are many archaeological remains now on view, and one of my favourite areas of the museum was the excavated buildings that can be seen from a raised platform. There is something really amazing about being able to see the walkways and steps that were used by the people visiting the baths and the temple. 

Water flowing through the original Roman structure

Another great thing is that throughout the Baths, you can still see the water flowing through the infrastructure built in the Roman period. One small piece of advice would be to remember a bottle of water, and be prepared for humidity! This comes from the heat of the hot springs, but also the water sprayed onto the remains that are on display.

The Great Bath (with added priest)

The absolute highlight is, of course, being able to walk around the Great Bath, the centrepiece of the bathing complex, and possibly one of the most famous Roman sites in Britain. Today, the steam still rises from the water, and you can walk around the adjacent rooms which have been excavated, and roofed, which give a great sense of the actual dimensions and layout of the complex. A really nice touch was that you can taste the water of the baths at the end of the tour, or in the Pump Room (although don’t be too excited about the taste!).

The overall experience was absolutely fantastic. It took around three hours to fully get around as there was a surprisingly large complex of rooms to explore and collections to see. An adult ticket costs £14, but don’t be put off by the price, it is completely worth it! My only tiny gripe would be, as someone who is not the biggest fan of audio guides just because I like to read things at my own pace, I would have liked more information written around the museum explaining the history of each section of the Baths and the excavated remains. It is somewhere that I have always known about, so it was fantastic to see it in person.

The exterior and interior of Bath Abbey

In the afternoon, we visited Bath Abbey, which is right next door to the Baths. There has been a church on the site for over 1000 years, including a massive Norman cathedral, although it lay in ruins by the 15th century. In 1615, the building was repaired and used as a parish church. It was developed in the 19th century, and the Abbey today is largely thanks to Sir George Gilbert Scott, the leading architect of the Gothic Revival. He transferred the interior of the abbey, the most significant change being replacing the wooden ceiling with the stone fan vaulting that is there today.

The abbey is free to enter, and I would really recommend it. It doesn’t take long to have a look around, and is obviously such an important part of the heritage of the city, so makes for a well-rounded trip to Bath!

It was a great day spent with my family, and Bath is a fantastic city in any weather, so I look forward to visiting sometime soon, hopefully before Christmas to explore the markets and do a bit of shopping!

If you want more information about the Roman Baths, just go to: http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/