The Roman Baths

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 26, 2015

We packed a lot of sightseeing into one day. Visiting the Roman Baths in Bath, UK was one of the highlights of our visit to England. The historic complex is one of the most popular attractions in the United Kingdom and is not to be missed. 

During Roman times this pool was covered
 with an arched, wooden roof.

The 2,000-year-old ruins were a marvel of engineering! The self-guided tour, using audio handsets, allowed us to explore at our leisure. We wandered through the bathing temple and through the adjacent rooms completely fascinated by every aspect of the structures.

The fascinating Roman Baths, Bath UK.

The ancient Roman Baths were rediscovered and excavated in 1878 and were opened to the public in 1893. We learned many interesting facts about how the different rooms were built and utilized. We discovered how the hot spring water was piped into the baths, using methods that still operate today. If I am able to visit this area again in the future, I would love to spend some time at the Bath Spa to experience the healing waters of the hot springs. 

The great drain is viewed through a glass floor.

There are many interesting displays in the museum, such as intricate carvings and the largest cache of Roman coins ever discovered in Britain. The curse tablets were also quite fascinating. They were small leaves of lead alloy on which were inscribed curses invoking the goddess Sulis Minerva to punish the perpetrators of such crimes as the theft of money, jewelry, or even a bathing tunic.

Another view of the main pool.

The walls and columns would have been
 brightly painted in days gone by.

The Romans were undisputed as engineers and the Roman Baths are a fine example. We enjoyed learning of the clever methods they had devised to take advantage of the natural hot springs in the area, though the first shrine was actually built by the Celts.

One of many sculptures at the Roman baths.

That evening, we had to walk a bit before we were able to find an open restaurant. I hadn't realized that so many of the eateries in Bath would be closed on Sunday. Our meal at the Firehouse Rotisserie was pretty good. I enjoyed a Margarita pizza. Craig chose a burger instead of pizza, while Des nibbled on a duck confit quesadilla.