The Roman Baths at Bath
are the best preserved of its kind in the world. The Roman Baths are below
ground level, with the Georgian era Pump Room on the ground floor.
One enters the Roman Baths through the reception hall, which
has a ceiling decorated with images of the four seasons and covered by a dome.
From there one goes to the terrace which overlooks the baths and is lined with
statues of Roman governors of Britain,
Emperors, and other military leaders.
The Sacred Spring
The very heart of the baths is the Sacred Spring. Hot water
at a temperature of 460C rises here at the rate of 240,000 gallons every
day and has been doing this for thousands of years. In the past this natural phenomenon was believed to be the work of the gods.
In Roman times a great Temple was built next to the spring dedicated to the goddess
Sulis Minerva, a deity with healing powers. The mineral rich water
from the spring supplied the magnificent bath-house which attracted visitors
from across the Roman Empire. Objects, such as coins and
messages on sheets of lead or pewter, which were thrown into the spring as
offerings to the goddess, are displayed nearby.
The Temple
Surviving from the temple is a
great ornamental pediment. It has been re-erected in the Roman Baths Museum. It carries the image of a fearsome head carved in Bath stone and it is thought to be that of the Gorgon, which was a powerful
symbol of the goddess Sulis Minerva. The temple courtyard, where people
gathered to worship the goddess, is also open for visitors.
The Great Bath
The centerpiece of the Roman Bath
is the Great Bath, a pool, lined with 45 sheets of lead, and filled with
hot spa water. It once stood in an enormous barrel-vaulted hall that rose
to a height of 40 meters. The bath is 1.6 meters deep, which was ideal for
bathing and has steps leading down on all sides. Niches around the baths
would have held benches for bathers and possibly small tables for drinks or
snacks. To the east and west are further suites of baths and heated
rooms.
The Georgian Pump Room
This salon, where spa water was drawn for drinking, was
considered the center of social activity in the 18th Century. The
pump room contains a number of artifacts, including the Tompion clock, given to the city in 1709 by Thomas Tompion, England’s best known clockmaker, as well as some sedan chairs from
the period. A visitor will be able to “take the waters” just as 18th
Century visitors did as well as unwind at a fine restaurant after a visit to
the Roman baths below.