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Temple of SulisSacred Well
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Sacred spring set to heat up medieval AbbeyIn a world heritage fist, the ancient goddess Sulis may be called upon to warm today’s true believers using Bath Abbey. Although the Abbey was granted planning permission for this unique £18 million scheme two years ago, this month, engineers have begun to explore the ancient Roman drain that runs beside the Abbey... continues... |
Posted by Chance12th April 2015ce |
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Bath's time comes again as spa reopens Rooftop pool will offer spectacular views of city It is more than 20 years since the plug was pulled on bathing in Bath. Some time this spring, the vagaries of millennium projects allowing, the hot water will gush and Bath will be open for business again. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,866783,00.html |
Posted by juamei31st December 2002ce |
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Visited 14.2.2007. Bath is a lovely place to visit if you have never been and the Roman Baths are a 'must see'. As Rhiannon says, despite lots of tourists, there are some areas of the Baths which are very quiet and peaceful. I know the Romans are not everyone's cup of tea who may be reading this but don't let that put you off. Visit and enjoy! |
Posted by CARL 16th June 2010ce |
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Don't dismiss this as a purely Roman experience (though that's fascinating in itself - heretic) - it really gets your imagination fired up and you can conjure up something of the place before the Romans arrived. The 'Sacred Spring' bubbles away in its blue-green pool, and mist floats eerily over the surface. How amazing this place would have been without the stone round it, probably surrounded by dark alder trees, the odd willow the wisp? The Romans knew it was already revered, and although they built a huge temple and bath complex around it, they at least took on board the beliefs of the native peoples by calling it Sulis Minerva - combining the resident goddess's name with a similar deity of their own. So many tourists come through here, but the place is remarkably quiet - everyone has a hand-held guide and they're listening to that, so if you just sit by the main baths it's really very peaceful and relaxing. You're not supposed to touch the water but you really must to appreciate how hot it is. When you lean over the drain (in one of the photos above) it's quite a sauna! and the bright orange of the iron is dazzling. |
Posted by Rhiannon28th November 2002ce Edited 19th June 2006ce |
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The healing properties of Bath’s mineral springs were said to have been discovered by Prince Bladud around 900BC. Banished from court because of his leprosy, he became a swineherd. When the pigs were suffering from cracked skins he took them done to a marsh where the warm water gave off steam which healed them so completely that Bladud immersed himself and cured his leprosy. You will find Bladud references dotted around Bath (e.g. the Bladud Arms pub and Bladud Buildings) |
Posted by pure joy25th March 2003ce |
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It would surely be remarkable if people hadn't been intrigued by the hot springs at Bath since the midsts of time. Cunliffe and Davenport, in their 1985 'The Temple of Sulis Minerva..' confirm that mesolithic flints were found beneath the temple when it was excavated. They also mention that seventeen pre-Roman Celtic coins were found near the spring. They were 'fresh and unworn' in appearance so it's doubtful they were old coins thrown in later. In that case, these are the earliest votive offerings found. |
Posted by Rhiannon 25th February 2004ce |
| Solinus, the 3rd century CE author of Collectanea Rerum Memorabilium, a descriptive book about places, wrote of Britain "...there are many great rivers and hot springs richly adorned for the use of men. Over these springs the Minerva is patron goddess and in her temple the eternal flames never whiten into ash, but when the flame declines it turns into rocky lumps". Many scholars have interpreted this as a reference to the temple of Sulis Minerva at Bath arguing that a sacred fire (fuelled by coal) was kept burning for her here. |
Posted by TomBo26th November 2003ce Edited 9th December 2003ce |
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YouTubeComputer reconstruction of Roman Baths Temple Courtyard |
Posted by Chance 12th April 2015ce Edited 16th April 2015ce |
The Official Roman Baths Museum WebsiteThis site, unsurprisingly, has a bit of a preoccupation with all things Roman, but is nevertheless filled with useful information. |
Posted by TomBo 18th November 2003ce Edited 18th November 2003ce |
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