Roman Baths
The best-preserved ancient Roman bath complex in Britain, where the 46°C natural hot spring still gushes out over a million liters of hot water every day.
The Roman Baths were built around 60–70 CE. The Romans constructed a temple to the goddess Sulis Minerva and a large public bath complex over the only natural hot spring in Britain, and the city took its name, Aquae Sulis, from this. The highlight is the open-air Great Bath, whose green water steams, surrounded by colonnades and statues added in the 19th century. The underground displays include a gorgon head from the temple pediment, the gilded bronze head of a statue of Minerva, curse tablets of lead that Romans threw into the spring, thousands of coins, and the Sacred Spring where the water rises. Tickets cost about £20–30 (prices vary by date, and booking on the official website is cheaper) and include a Chinese audio guide. Do not touch or drink the bath water. The Pump Room restaurant by the exit lets you sample a glass of mineral water and enjoy afternoon tea. In July and August the baths stay open until 22:00, when there are fewer visitors and the site is lit by torches. The baths are just a square away from Bath Abbey, about an 8-minute walk from Bath Spa station.
Opening hours
Usually 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (until 10:00 p.m. July–August; 9:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. in winter)
Nearby sights
- Bath Abbey
- Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House
- Thermae Bath Spa
- Pulteney Bridge
- Jane Austen Centre
- The Circus
- Holburne Museum
- Royal Crescent