It is safe to say that you haven’t really experienced Roman Britain until you have seen the Roman Baths at Bath. A site of religious significance since the Mesolithic, when the Romans arrived they immediately recognised the importance of the site and set about redesigning it to better meet the needs of Roman citizens. The site represents the expertise of Roman engineering and the “civilised” Roman way of life, but also so much more. In typical Roman fashion the indigenous deity of Sulis was transformed into Sulis-Minerva, highlighting one of the key aspects of Roman domination -assimilation.
Sulis-Minerva was a goddess of healing and well-suited to the supposed magical healing properties of the steamy water that cascades out of the ground. Even today it is easy to imagine why ancient peoples were so attracted to the site, sometimes travelling hundreds of miles to take a dip and ease their pains. Today it’s not possible to take a dip, but the site continues to attract thousands of visitors. So be prepared. It can get very congested and at times even difficult to move through the museum, so if possible avoid visiting at peak times.
The museum displays are of exceptional quality, well laid-out and with the option of text to read or a personal audio guide. The museum also caters to young visitors, allowing children to learn about the Baths and life in Roman Britain through different characters. I was particularly impressed by the priest Gaius Calpernius who seemed to completely embrace the character, and was happy to have his picture taken countless times. 
There is something for everyone to see, from the coins and gems recovered from the drains during cleaning, to the lead piping that carried the water to and from the different pools. However, for me there are several things that are not to be missed as they allow a unique opportunity to step that much closer to life in Roman Britain. There are some fine mosaics on display, and the Temple pediment, with its giant Gorgon’s Head, provides a glimpse of how grand the temple must once have been. But the highlight for me are the lead curses. These small rolled up sheets of lead with inscriptions scratched on them allow a small window into the beliefs of those visiting the Baths, and perhaps suggest that in some ways the Baths visitors were not all that different from ourselves.
Quick facts:
- 257,364 Imperial Gallons of water flow through the baths each day.
- The water temp. is a steamy 46 degrees C.
- 130 lead curse tablets have been found, many relating to thefts of clothes while people were bathing.
- The Baths see more than a million visitors per year