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Roman Baths and the Pump Room Review

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Roman Baths and the Pump Room

Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.6/5

Fodor's Review:

The hot springs have drawn people here since prehistoric times, so it's quite appropriate to begin an exploration of Bath at this excellent museum on the site of the ancient city's temple complex and primary "watering hole." Here the Roman patricians would gather to immerse themselves, drink the mineral waters, and socialize. With the departure of the Romans, the baths fell into disuse and were partially covered. When bathing again became fashionable, the site was reopened; the magnificent Georgian building now standing was erected at the end of the 18th century. During the 19th century, almost the entire Roman bath complex was rediscovered and excavated, and the museum displays relics of the temple once dedicated to Sulis Minerva. Exhibits include a mustachioed, Celtic-influenced Gorgon's head, fragments of colorful curses invoked by the Romans against some of their neighbors, and information about Roman bathing practices. The Great Bath is now roofless, and the statuary and pillars belong to the 19th century, but much remains from the original complex, and the steaming, somewhat murky waters are undeniably evocative. On August evenings, you can take torch-lighted tours of the baths.

Adjacent to the Roman bath complex is the famed Pump Room, built 1792-96, a rendezvous place for members of 18th-century and 19th-century Bath society, who liked to check on the new arrivals to the city. Here Catherine Morland and Mrs. Allen "paraded up and down for an hour, looking at everybody and speaking to no one," to quote from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Today you can take eat in the elegant space—or you can simply, for a small fee, taste the fairly vile mineral water.

  • Cost: Pump Room free, Roman Baths £11, £11.50 in July and Aug. with audio guide; combined ticket with Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms (valid 7 days) £14.50
  • Open: Mar.-June, Sept., and Oct., daily 9-6; July and Aug., daily 9AM-10PM; Nov.-Feb., daily 9:30-5:30; last admission 1 hr before closing
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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by atpanda from Mesa, AZ on 5/3/07
I was afraid that the Bath House was a tourist trap, but it is very well done and incredibly interesting. A must-see!

Member Rating: 4.6
Ratings details: Experience: 5.0 Ease: 4.0 Value: 4.0 Don't Miss: 5.0
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