A Roman History

Bathing has been a long-standing tradition in the city of Bath, as the name may suggest!

The city gets its warm water from rainfall in the nearby Somerset Hills which then goes through a geothermal process and bubbles back up through the ground in temperatures of up to 46° C. The Romans used this as an opportunity to build the public baths which were a common feature of their recreation. They were used to bathe, clean, read and relax.

The baths were also believed to have healing qualities, and Romans would regularly gather at the Temple Courtyard to worship the goddess Minerva. In 1797, the bronze head of a statue of Minerva was found on site and dated back to the first century. The head is currently on display at the Bath Museum.

Though there have been numerous modifications to the surrounding buildings, and the water has not been used for bathing since the 1970’s, the traditional Roman baths still exist today and are a popular tourist attraction.