The Roman Baths

The Roman Baths cluster around a steaming, lead-lined pool that marks the site of the sacred spring of Sulis Minerva. Romans built this complex in the first century to harness the geothermal waters, creating a social hub for bathing and socializing. During the late nineteenth century, a man named Charles Davis rediscovered the Roman ruins while surveying the area for a municipal drainage scheme. He convinced the city to excavate the site instead of covering it up, revealing the Great Bath beneath the city streets.