Roman Bath, Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom (5th Century CE)*

Artist/Designer: Roman

Project Location: Bath, United Kingdom

Style/Period(s):
No Style/Period Assigned.

Primary Material(s):
Stone, Water

Function(s):
Health Facility

Related Website(s):

Significant Date(s):
5th Century

Additional Information:
Trinity College Watkinson Library: George Watson Cole
The Roman Baths are a well-preserved thermae in the city of Bath, Somerset, England. A temple was constructed on the site between 60-70CE in the first few decades of Roman Britain. Its presence led to the development of the small Roman urban settlement known as Aquae Sulis around the site. The Roman baths, which were used for public bathing, were used until the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th Century CE. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the original Roman baths were in ruins a century later. The area around the natural springs was redeveloped several times during the Early and Late Middle Ages. The Roman Baths are preserved in four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House, and a museum that holds artifacts from Aquae Sulis. However, all buildings at the street level date from the 19th century.

Publications/Texts in Print:
Cohen, Paul, and Brenda Cohen. "The Roman Baths Museum In Bath, England." Journal of College Science Teaching 29, no. 4 (2000): 285-86.

Cousins, Eleri H. "Votive Objects and Ritual Practice at the King’s Spring at Bath." In TRAC 2013: Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, London 2013, edited by Platts Hannah, Pearce John, Barron Caroline, Lundock Jason, and Yoo Justin, 52-64. Oxford; Philadelphia: Oxbow Books, 2014.

Dark, K. R. "Town or 'Temenos'? A Reinterpretation of the Walled Area of 'Aquae Sulis'." Britannia 24 (1993): 254-55.

Frith, Francis & Co. (publisher, English, act. 1890-1970). ca.1907-1914 (publication date). Bath, Roman Baths.; verso: F. Frith & Co. Ltd. Reigate. No. 46468 [divided back, no message], overall, recto. Picture postcard. Place: Trinity College, Watkinson Library (Hartford, Connecticut, USA).

"Georgian Bath: A Transnational Culture." In Leisure Cultures in Urban Europe, C.1700–1870: A Transnational Perspective, edited by BORSAY PETER and FURNÉE JAN HEIN, 93-116. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2016.

"Roman Remains at Bath, England." American Journal of Numismatics, and Bulletin of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society 5, no. 1 (1870): 17.

Rudling, David. "Rural Settlement in Roman Sussex." In Agriculture and Industry in South-Eastern Roman Britain, edited by Bird David, 84-110. Oxford; Philadelphia: Oxbow Books, 2017.

"The Roman Baths at Bath, England." Scientific American 49, no. 21 (1883): 324.



Building Address: Abbey Churchyard, Bath BA1 1LZ, United Kingdom

Significant dates: Building construction- 1894 -1897

Tags: Roman Bath, Thermae, Temple, Ancient Bathhouse, 19th Century, 1894, 1897, 5th Century, Bath culture, Bathing culture, Bathing, aqueous, hygiene, hygienic, health, Ancient, Aquae Sulis,

Viewers should treat all images as copyrighted and refer to each image's links for copyright information.