The Garden of Eaden: BATH: Roman baths

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For two thousand years, Bath in England has been a spa town built around Britain's only hot mineral springs. For centuries this natural phenomenon has attracted visitors to Bath, and has led to a unique and historic urban environment around the springs.

In the 1^st Century AD , the Romans built a stone-walled reservoir to contain the spring and supply water to the adjacent baths. No-one swam in the spring itself as it was regarded as a sacred site, but worshippers threw into the water offerings to the patron deity Sulis Minerva. The sacred spring was covered by a rectangular vaulted building between the temple and baths.

The Geological Source

Bath spa water fell as rain up to 10,000 years ago on the nearby Mendip hills. Driven down through carboniferous limestone cave systems by pressure from the high water table on the Mendips, the water has reached depths of 2 - 3 kilometres.

The water penetrates overlying strata of impermeable Lias clay through fissures and a fault to rise at three points in the City of Bath. The greatest source is the Kings Spring where the flow is 13 litres per second or 1,106,400 (c.250,000 gallons) per day. The water temperature is a constant 46 degrees Celsius.

The Mineral Content

There are 43 minerals in the hot spa water. calcium and sulphate are the main dissolved ions followed by sodium and chloride.

The water is low in dissolved metals except for iron which gives the characteristic iron staining around the baths and contributes to the waters distinctive flavour. The mineral content of this water is 2.18 grammes per litre.

Curative Properties

In medieval times, a cure for conditions such as paralysis, colic, palsy and gout was sought from bathing in hot spa waters. Lead poisoning was a cause of many of these afflictions, as in these days many occupations involved working with or exposure to lead.

Alcohol, especially port, was adulterated with lead to act as a sweetener and as a fungicide. 18th century records from Bath Mineral Water Hospital show that patients benefited from the treatment. Today, it is fashionable to be sceptical about the curative properties of hot spa water although hot spas in Europe remain popular.

Taking the Waters

The fashion for drinking spar water arose from new medicinal ideas in the later 17th century. the pump room was opened in 1706 to provide a place to drink the waters.

the water was taken in the morning. For most visitors a pint or two was sufficient, but as much as a gallon a day could be prescribed!

It is hardly surprising that the new Pump Room, opened in 1795, was criticised as lacking facilities for '...when the waters begin to operate...!'

The Pumper

There has been a charge for taking the waters since the opening of the first Pump Room in 1706.

The position of Pumper was released by the Corporation and followed the opening of the present Pump Room the lease cost £800 per annum.

Visitors could take out a subscription to the Pump Room which entitled them to take the waters. In subsequent years the value of the lease fell and for a period the spa water was distributed free of charge.

The Kings Bath is the name given to a private bathing area situated within the Roman baths complex in the city of Bath, Great Britain. From the Roman period to the present day, this ancient building has been the very heart and soul of Bath as within it rises the hot mineral spa water that has given the city its name.

In the 1^st Century AD , the Romans built a stone-walled reservoir to contain the spring and supply water to the adjacent baths. No-one swam in the spring itself as it was regarded as a sacred site, but worshippers threw into the water offerings to the patron deity Sulis Minerva. The sacred spring was covered by a rectangular vaulted building between the temple and baths.

By the 6^th Century, the temple and baths had fallen into disuse and the reservoir ceiling had into the spring. However, the spring waters continued to flow inside the ruined building and it is believed that the nearby Saxon monastery still used the site for bathing.

In the 12^th century, the Kings bath - named after Henry I, was built within the remains of the Roman building. It was used as a curative bath and was fed directly from the hot spring below. In its day, the kings bath was actually within the precinct of the medieval monastery.

After the dissolution of the monastery in 1539, the Kings bath eventually came into the hands of the City Corporation. In the 16^th Century the Queens Bath was constructed on the south side.

Throughout the 17^th Century, Baths popularity as a spa town increased. The brass rings visible in the walls are engraved with testimonials from grateful bathers who were cured by these ancient waters.

The far reaching history of these baths can still be seen to this day. The rectangular form of the existing building reflects the original Roman footprint. In fact, parts of the supporting walls below the balustrade are the roman walls built for the original bathing complex. Furthermore some of the medieval bathing niches are still visible on the far side of the bath.

In 1704-6 the first Pump Room was built on the north side of the Kings Bath. Spar water for drinking was pumped up to it from the spring below. The present, larger building was erected in 1790-95, partly covering the north side of the Kings bath. The statue of Prince Bladud, legendry founder of bath, is still seen today.