Roman Baths, Bath

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The Roman Baths are a very well-preserved ancient bathing complex in the city of Bath, in Somerset, England. They were built around a natural hot spring, and a temple was added on the site between about 60 and 70 AD, in the first decades of Roman Britain. The Romans called the town Aquae Sulis, which means "the waters of Sulis".

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At a glance

Country: United Kingdom
Location: Bath, UK
Built: 70
Type: Ancient site

Quick answers

Where is Roman Baths, Bath?

Roman Baths, Bath is in Bath, UK, United Kingdom.

When was Roman Baths, Bath built?

Roman Baths, Bath was built in 70.

A Roman bathing complex fed by hot springs; its green Great Bath is overlooked by Bath Abbey.

Today you can see four main parts: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and a museum with objects found at the site. The green Great Bath is overlooked by Bath Abbey. More than a million people visit every year.

A spring from deep underground

The hot water begins as rain on the nearby Mendip Hills. It seeps down through limestone to depths of 2,700 to 4,300 metres, where the Earth's natural heat warms it to between 69 and 96 degrees Celsius. Then it rises along cracks in the rock, called faults, and reaches the surface at about 46 degrees. About 1,170,000 litres of hot water emerge every day, and it still flows into the baths now.

From Rome to today

The baths were used for public bathing until the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th century, and were in ruins a century later. The area around the spring was rebuilt several times in the Middle Ages. The buildings at street level now are from the 19th century. Visitors may not swim in the water, because the pathogen Naegleria fowleri was found there after a girl died in 1978 in nearby swimming baths fed by the same springs.

Fun facts

Hot spring water at about 46 degrees still flows in today.
The Great Bath is lined with lead from the Mendip Hills.
The Romans called the town Aquae Sulis.
Rainwater takes a long journey, down 2,700 to 4,300 metres, before it returns hot.