14^ THE ROMAN BATHS AT BATH. 



and the clothes of the bathers appear to have been hung up there, 

 as the marks of the rails fixed in the masonry still remain. 



A platform, 12 ft. wide, ran round the Bath, and six steps of 

 massive masonry led down to the Bath, the bottom of which was 

 coated with thick lead, in some parts of the same weight as that 

 found in the octagon. 



On each of the longer sides of the Bath, and resting upon the 

 upper step, were six clusters of pilasters, thus dividing the entire 

 enclosure into three aisles ; the centre aisle, that over the bath and 

 between the pillars, being the highest, and roofed by a barrel vault 

 rising 46 ft. from the floor of the Bath. The side aisles were 

 arched also, but of lesser height, having what is ecclesiastically 

 known as clerestory windows on each side. These arches, except 

 where it was necessary to build them otherwise, appear to have 

 been constructed of hard-burnt hollow tiles, open at the sides, and 

 wedge-shaped, set in the usual Roman mortar, a mixture of pound- 

 ed brick and lime. The soffit, or under-side of these arches, is coated 

 with mortar having every appearance of being formed of coal- 

 ashes. If this was the composition of the mortar, then the 

 Romans must have been acquainted with our coal-deposits. 

 There was also discovered a leaden pipe, used to convey fresh 

 spring drinking-water to the Bath, which appears to have been 

 conducted through a small recumbent figure in the centre of the 

 north side into a stone cistern, which stood upon a plinth close 

 to the water. 



The approach to the Great Bath was by two large doorways in 

 the west, and there were probably three entrances at the other end 

 from the eastern wing, as seems to be indicated by the greater 

 wearing of the pavement in that spot. The remains of the piers 

 are not more than 5 ft. in height from the platform. 



The deposits filling the Octagonal well and the Great Bath were 

 very dissimilar. The well was filled with tiles, fragments of trees 

 (one tree with its roots still adhering to the side-wall), alder-sticks, 

 and a great quantity of moss and fibrous matter, supposed to be 

 either straw or rushes. This deposit was in no part stratified 

 horizontally, but in part vertically. Few, if any, shells were found 

 there. 



The Great Bath, on the contrary, was filled with a regularly 



