Doing It Like The Romans Did: Bathing At The Thermae Bath Spa
The train pulled into the Bath Spa station. A familiar one, since I had been here in 2008 on my solo UK trip. This time around, it was myself and my new husband, Frank, hopping off.
We quickly headed over to our bed and breakfast in a restored Georgian home on Henrietta Street. Dropping off our luggage after checking in, we found our way to Marks & Spencer.
Yes, you read that right. We were going shopping.
You’d think we would be taking a walk around the town, playing tourist. Nope. We were shopping for men’s swim shorts and flip flops.
You see, while I had prepared a list of items I would need for our UK honeymoon, my new husband didn’t. While I had packed my swimsuit and flip flops, he didn’t. In a rush to get his luggage together before our wedding and next-day trip to the UK, he had forgotten. I say he was just caught up in the excitement of getting married to me, and so he forgot.
But what does the famous Bath of Jane Austen’s books have to do with swim suits and swim shorts?
Taking A Dip At the Thermae Bath Spa
Bath is also famous for its natural springs. Well over a thousand years before Jane wrote about everybody going to Bath for the season, it was the “hot spot” for Romans. Today, it continues the bathing tradition, attracting well over 260,000 visitors to the Thermae Bath Spa.
Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks Thermae Bath Spa when somebody mentions Bath. A survey found that 62% of respondents said the spa was their number one reason for visiting Bath. Thirty-four percent are repeat visitors and 91% say they would re-visit it again.
I had a wonderful time at Thermae Bath Spa in 2008, so when we were planning our honeymoon trip, I suggested we take a dip in the heated waters. Tapping into the natural mineral waters bubbling below the surface, the Thermae Bath Spa is one of my top favourite destinations in Bath.
For me, its the place to go to rest your weary tourist bones. Located near the famous Roman baths, the spa is fed by the natural hot spring waters found under the city.
The rooftop outdoor pool offers a spectacular view of Bath. Absolutely stunning. There’s the Minerva indoor pool below it that’s great on days when it’s just a bit too chilly outside.
The location also provides spa packages but it’s important to book ahead. They don’t squeeze in last minute appointments. We made that mistake during our honeymoon trip.
Nevertheless, if you can spend two hours in the warm, bubbling mineral waters of the Thermae Bath Spa, you will feel super relaxed. As well, you’ll feel refreshed and ready for more travel. The day we did this was a chilly one, but the waters were nice and warm.
We also noticed that our skin felt softer afterwards. There’s something in the water that creates this effect.
New to the Therma Bath Spa is the Wellness Suite, open to anybody who comes to the Main Spa (using the two pools). Wish we could have experienced this in 2012, as it sounds amazing. Here there are two aromatic steam rooms, an Ice Chamber, Infrared Sauna and a Celestial Relaxation Room. All provide a sensory experience that further helps to relax and rejuvenate.
I’m adding another visit to the Thermae Bath Spa to my travel bucket list in case I win a million dollars. And if you’re still not convinced this is a special experience, just take a look at the spa’s video:
The Old And The New
Almost two thousand years ago, in the same area of Bath, Romans were also meeting up to enjoy the hot springs.
Just before heading into the Thermae Bath Spa, Frank and I did the tour of the Roman Baths. It’s located just a block away, so it made sense to come here first.
With public tours of the excavated site, that still has working water drains with the natural spring water coming up from the ground, it’s quite the sight. As a lover of history and archaeology, the Roman Baths are amazing.
For our Roman Baths tour, I suggested we go there as soon as possible. This is so that we wouldn’t have to carry our wet swimsuits around. As well, we wouldn’t be dealing with other tourists. The Roman Baths exhibits is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular attractions in the city.
It was just at about opening time, so we had few other tourists with us. Walking around the Great Bath, you can see the heat steaming off the surface. The fact that the water is coming up through the original Roman system is pretty unbelievable.
In 60 AD, the Romans tapped into the natural spring waters. They made the city into a spa, and called it Aqua Sulis (Waters of Sulis). This was in reference to the goddess Sulis the Britons revered and the Romans identified with Minerva. They built a temple here first and then the bathing facilities over the span of 300 years.
Back then, the Great Bath was under a covered dome roof. It would had been the largest building that Romans would have entered in their life.
Inside the Roman Baths is a exhibit of items found on-site as well as several other bathing rooms that have been excavated. What caught our eye is the golden head of the goddes Minerva. Unearthed mosaics are still colourful and rich in their design.
In one corner, there’s a station with the water pumped up. You can “take the waters” as they used to say in the 18th and 19th century. This means sipping it from a disposable cup these days. We both had a taste.
For me, it was as bad as the first time I tried it in 2008 in the Pump Room restaurant, adjacent to the Roman Bath. Frank wasn’t too impressed with the taste. Yuck!
| Related: Stepping Back Into History At The Roman Walls at Verulamium – St Albans
We Haven’t Changed All That Much From Roman Times
Ancient Romans would go to the baths to not only cleanse themselves but also connect with others. Bathing was a communal activity more than 2000 years ago.
Today, it’s still communal but in a different way. While at the Thermae Spa, we noticed a group of women enjoying the warm pool. Perhaps a girls’ day at the spa. Young tourist-types floated around, chatting with each other.
This is why my experience with my husband Frank was so much more memorable than my solo visit in 2008. We not only enjoyed the warm, soothing water but also each other’s company.
So while you may desire to step in the footsteps of Jane Austen and her characters, make time to include a visit to the Thermae Spa.
You can thank me later.
And if you can’t make it to Bath, there’s always your own bath. What inspired this post was Read a Book While Taking a Bath Day. I took a look at one of my photos from our Roman Baths visit and decided to write about our experience.
Thermae Bath Spa
The Hetling Pump Room
Hot Bath Street
Bath
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Check the site for opening and closing times, booking reservations and entrance costs.
The Roman Baths
Abbey Church Yard
Bath
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Tip: If you’re feeling peckish after Roman Bath tour, head over to the Pump Room Restaurant that overlooks the site. It offers delicious lunches with fine cuisine. Worthwhile splurging on a nice lunch here, as it makes you feel like you’ve stepped back into the early 19th century. Classical music accompanies your meal and you have white tablecloth service.
Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored by the Thermae Bath Spa or the Roman Baths in Bath, UK. I had an amazing experience and was happy to share it via this post.
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