Bath Spa and the Thermal Springs

Bath has experienced a varied history as a spa town with it initially being established in Roman times about AD 60 which was 20 years after the Romans first arrived in Britain. It came to be fashionable in the Georgian period with many travelling to consume the waters which were believed to have medicinal benefits. The influx of people travelling to the area amplified the need for accommodation and therefore new houses were built utilising bath stone and they are evident in the present day through the Georgian structures that Bath is famous for. This publication will explain the origin of the thermal springs which drew people to the area and thus increased the town to the wonderful place it is currently.

The formation of Bath stone took place during the Jurassic time period in geological history. During this time Bath was covered by shallow seas so when marine life perished and fell to the bottom of the sea floor they became compressed over time to create a sedimentary rock referred to as limestone. Over a period of millions of years these stone structures were distorted creating fault lines to appear, and the town now inhabits in what is referred to as a sedimentary basin. It is thought that the water source for the thermal waters comes from rainwater falling on the Mendip Hills which lie 10-15km south-west of Bath. This water permeates through rocks prompting aquifers to form at a depth of around 3km to 4km. The water is then warmed by geothermal energy (energy originating from the core of the earth) to a little less than boiling temperature about 96°C. The water then is expelled to the earth’s surface under great pressure through the cracks and vulnerable points in the rock caused by the faults and deformation over the course of time.

The Celts were the first people to apply the properties of the thermal springs and crafted a shrine on the location of one of the thermal springs. The Romans later constructed a centre of baths on the site with varying temperatures of bath from hot, warm and cold. The springs were refined time and again and employed routinely by the populace. Sadly today they are not fit for human bathing but the complex is currently a museum exhibiting artefacts from the Roman occupation of Bath. Brand new thermal baths (Thermae Bath Spa) have been established on a near-by site so the general public today can enjoy the benefits of bathing in springs warmed naturally by the Earth.