The Excavations of Roman Baths at Bath

The author presents a detailed account of archaeological work uncovering a large Roman bathing complex beneath the Abbey and surrounding streets, synthesizing earlier reports with his own supervised excavations. He describes structural features and measurements of rectangular and semi-circular baths, pilasters, stepped entrances, dual hypocaust chambers with flues and furnaces, and layered pavements, and notes wooden fittings, hot-water drains, and a medieval sluice connected to a mill wheel. Plans and earlier surveys are compared, and the narrative traces successive discoveries, alterations, and the techniques used to expose and record the baths’ construction and drainage systems.