I §4 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Aug. 24, 1888. 



To understand the Roman city some idea should be 

 given of the ancient walls and the gates as well as 

 roads that entered it. The walls seem to have 

 conformed to the nature of the ground and the bend 

 of the river Avon, so as to include the hot springs. 

 The structure of the mediaeval walls appears to have 

 rested upon the Roman. This has lately been found 

 to be the case at Chester, and was undoubtedly the 

 case at Gloucester and at Colchester. The recent examina- 

 tion of the walls at Chester has thrown light upon this 

 subject. (See last number of the Journal of the Archaeo- 

 logical Association.) 



The earliest map of Bath is probably that of Dr. 

 Jones (1568 or 1588), which is contained among the 

 Sloane MSS. (2596), from which we see the main 

 streets meeting nearly at right angles, answering to the 

 four gates. The circuit of the walls is a little above 

 one mile, or a third less than the more important Roman- 

 British cities. The line of the walls, often nearly de- 

 stroyed, and greatly damaged in mediaeval times, can 

 still be traced. Within the walls the forum seems to 

 have occupied a central space, and to have extended from 

 the present abbey church to the Grand Pump-room 

 Hotel. Under the last-named building Roman remains 

 were found, and a concrete flooring, at a depth of not 

 less than sixteen feet. The arrangement of the baths 

 seems to have occupied the whole of the south front of 

 the forum. Under the present Pump-room were found the 

 remains of the sculptured pediment preserved in the 

 vestibule of the Literary and Scientific Institution. 

 Immediately opposite the Pump-room formerly stood 

 Stall's church, which is recorded to have embodied in 

 its structure the remains of a Roman temple. The 

 position of the Roman forum can, therefore, be said to 

 have occupied the present site of the abbey church- 

 yard, the space from north to south being wider than at 

 present. The position was not quite central, but ex- 

 tended more towards the east and south gates. 



The present Pump-room, under which the sculptured 

 pediment referred to above was found, marks the 

 entrance to the Roman baths, but the frontage 

 stood farther back, more to the north. The portico 

 was probably composed of six columns in front, 

 with a frontage of 35 feet, a height about the same, 

 and a projection of not less than 20 feet. (See " Guide to 

 the Roman Baths," p. 7). 



In 1878 the reservoir which supplied these baths was 

 discovered and laid open, also the Roman culvert, 

 which has been reconstructed in places, and is now used 

 as a drain for the waste water from the thermal springs. 

 The hot springs were found to have been enclosed in an 

 irregular octagon, 50 feet in length from east to west, 

 and 40 feet wide. This is situated below the King's 

 Bath, and forms the great well of the springs. A con- 

 crete floor has been laid over it, and the space above 

 is still used for modern baths. The Roman reservoir is 

 built of large masonry, 3 feet thick by 6 or 7 feet in 

 length, and was found to be cased on the inside with 

 lead. 



In clearing out this reservoir leaden pipes and 

 shafts of columns were found, also blocks of stone 

 variously moulded. From this tank the great Roman 

 bath, not far distant, and the circular bath (only recently 

 discovered) were supplied with hot water. 



The hall of the great bath, now completely opened to 

 the view, encloses an area of 1 1 1 feet in length by 68 

 feet in width, but the circular bath and the hall in 



which it is situated have been arched over, as the space 

 above was required for modern use. The Roman 

 masonry, however, is carefully preserved, and distinctly 

 marked off from the more recent additions. 



It is much to be wished that the whole could have 

 been kept open, and preserved under a shed constructed 

 of glass with iron supports ; but the space required for 

 increased bathing accommodation rendered the sacrifice 

 too costly. If this could have been done Bath would 

 then have possessed the finest collection of Roman 

 remains, illustrative of Roman manners, and far surpass- 

 ing any that have been found in Europe west of the 

 Alps. Much controversy has arisen about the preserva- 

 tion of these remains, but we may feel assured that the 

 city authorities will never neglect that which places this 

 city far above other Roman-British cities, as none 

 hitherto explored can show such perfect remains, con- 

 structed on so grand a scale. The stone of which the 

 baths are built was taken from the quarries, still in use, 

 at Combedown. The blocks used in the construction 

 of the large bath are many of them 10 feet long, and are 

 put together with the greatest care, the masonry being 

 of the highest order. Six steps lead into the water from 

 the platform which surrounds the bath, and this has 

 three recesses on each side, which contained seats and 

 accommodation for bathers. Large fragments of roofing, 

 composed of wedged-shaped, hollow tiles, lie in the 

 great bath and upon the platforms, showing the construc- 

 tion of the arched roofs that covered the buildings ; 

 and also fragments of sculpture which had adorned 

 the edifice. The character of the masonry and the 

 small remnants that remain of the ornamental work 

 carry with them indications that these baths were con- 

 structed in the earliest portion of the ^oman occupation 

 of the island. 



The work about the baths can be shown to be of 

 successive dates, but the structure of the earliest and 

 best portions may be carried back to the reigns of Vespa- 

 sian and Titus, and may have been begun even earlier. 

 Frontinus, who was Governor of Britain before Agricola, 

 was known for his great work on aqueducts, which he 

 constructed in Rome for supplying the city with water. 

 It is not at all improbable that he, when Governor in 

 Britain, may have recognised the value of the hot 

 springs of Aquae Solis, and given directions for their 

 utilization. The structure of these fine works may have 

 been planned by him, and carried out by his successors. 

 We may therefore place them as early as the time of 

 Vespasian, and not later than that of Hadrian. 



Much more remains still to be discovered, as a fine 

 hypocaust has been found near to the recently uncovered 

 circular bath, and also smaller baths, apparently for 

 private use. There can be but little doubt that these 

 baths had originally all the accompaniments common to 

 such structures, as may be seen in Rome, at Pompeii, and 

 in the recently discovered Roman town at Herbord, in 

 France, eighteen miles from Poitiers, and within a short 

 distance of the small town of Sanxay. Here may be 

 studied the complete arrangements of a Roman watering- 

 place, as we have the baths, the temple, and the bathing 

 establishment, all contiguous. We cannot but con- 

 gratulate the city of Bath upon the possession of the 

 remains recently laid open, indicating, as they do, the 

 prosperity and former opulence of the city. It may 

 have received marks of imperial favour, and been 

 honoured at times by the residence of illustrious Romans. 

 {To be continued.) 



