Day 5: Bath

APRIL 8 - Walk into town from Mike and Tanya’s house and get the train to Bath (GBP 17 for the three of us). Bath is packed with history, primarily due to the occurrence of natural hot springs in the area. In fact this is the only such place in England. The original nearby native Briton settlements occupied a bend in the River Avon, and when the Romans first occupied the area permanently in 43 CE, they began constructing a bathhouse to exploit this thermal resource. The structures surrounding the hot springs have gone through many iterations since, as the waters never failed to attract people seeking cures for ailments, or just for relaxation.

On the way to the train station. Its nice when your child is still that age when they actually like to hold your hand.

Next door to the building for the hot springs is Bath Abbey, founded in the 7th Century, though its current form dates from the 12th Century, with major restoration work in the 1800’s.

Looking down in the the main pool, which stays at about 46 degrees C. Remnants of Roman pillars remain, though the 2nd floor terrace I’m standing on is of much more recent construction.

A good museum is attached to the baths, which a large number of artifacts dating to about 43 CE up to the end of the Roman occupation. The above pillar is a dedication by a freed slave that says:

‘To the Goddess Sulis, for the welfare and safety of Aufidius Maximus, Centurion of the Sixth Legion Victrix, Marcus Aufidius Lemnus, his freedman, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow.’

In the above quote, it should be noted that the freed slave took the name of his ‘master’, an obvious sign of great respect. It suggests a somewhat complex and non-intuitive relationship that could exist between a slave and his/her ‘owner’, that is very difficult to visualize in modern society. The Goddess Sulis was the main deity worshipped at this site (the waters themselves were called ‘Aquae Sulis’). The name ‘Sulis’ predated the Roman occupation and originates from Celtic, as the name of the local deity responsible for the occurrence of the thermal springs. The goddess was later known to the Romans, and subsequent Romano-British, as Sulis Minerva.

The waters themselves were a source of mystery for people throughout much of history, hence this emphasis on attributing the site to a god. Besides the reputed medicinal effects of bathing in the water, it was also an imbibed elixir. I had some and would describe it as like drinking tepid bath water.

An adjoining pool (of which I do not have a photo), was reserved for the Goddess and not used for bathing. Into this pool were thrown offerings. One of the common offerings was curses, basically letters asking that misfortune befall those who had stolen something from the writer. They were written on thin lead sheets, which were rolled up and tossed into the pool. One such letter seen in the museum is related below:

‘I have given the goddess Sulis the six silver coins which I have lost. It is for the Goddess to exact them from the names written below: Sanicianus, Saturninus and Anniola.’

Some remnants of a temple associated with the baths. In the center is a richly bearded figure, though the strands of hair are also snakes. Though the face would appear to be a reference to Medusa, the male features are unusual.

The head of a statue to the Goddess Sulis. Very unusual to find a gilt bronze statue of this era. It was unearthed nearby in a ditch.

A couple of real Romans were there. Odette had many, many questions for them.

After the bath museum, we stopped by the Jane Austen museum.

...followed by the House of Frankenstein, or at least the outside of it.

Go up the hill and wander through a large park with a botanical garden. Every park we go these days, including this one, is full of blooming tulips, daffodils, bluebells, and many other spring flowers. Back to Bradford-on-Avon on the train.

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