What's on in Bath

Roman Baths

Daily

Cost: £10.25; seniors & students £8.75; children £6.50; family (2+4) £29

Hours: Nov-Feb: 9.30am-4.30pm (last exit 5.30pm); Mar-Jun, Sep & Oct: 9am-5pm (exit 6pm); Jul & Aug: 9am-9pm (exit 10pm)

Hidden beneath the city of Bath lie the stone remains of one of the greatest religious spas of the ancient world. At its heart flow the unique thermal springs that give the town its name. Above stands the Grand Pump Room, where for 200 years visitors have drunk from the fountain of steaming spa water.

Today you can walk where Romans walked on the timeworn pavements around the Baths. Hot steam rooms and invigorating cold plunge pools are still visible beside the great swimming bath, replenished daily with natural hot water from deep underground.

The remains of the beautifully carved temple were guarded by a fearsome Gorgon, whose stone carving was recovered intact from the ruins and is now on display in the site museum. Here you can view objects thrown into the spring as offerings to the goddess, including prayers and curses inscribed on metal tablets. On display in the temple courtyard is its crowning glory, the life-size gilded head of the statue of Sulis Minerva.

Personal audio guides, included free for every visitor, reveal stories behind those who came here. Computer reconstructions transform the ruins into a complete religious spa as it was 2000 years ago. You can explore the entire site at your own pace and listen to tales told by staff who have bathed in the water themselves.

After the visit, taste the water, savour afternoon tea beneath crystal chandeliers and listen to the music of the Pump Room Trio, all in the best tradition of Bath society.

Roman Baths