CWa have been working with archaeologists, curators, archivists and contractors across summer and autumn 2023 to uncover the Bath Assembly Rooms' 18thC cold bath – and unpick the mystery surrounding its inclusion in John Wood the Younger’s original designs.
Although cold baths were a common part of an 18thC health regime (and many survive in well-appointed townhouses of the period across London and Bath), they are rare in the context of the entertainment and diversions of an Assembly Rooms. The fragment poses many fascinating questions about the multitude of alternative functions that the site hosted beyond its primary role as a social venue – a great example of what we would call ‘mixed use’ today.
Archive records suggested the bath was last uncovered before the Sir Albert Richardson phase of post-war restoration in the 1950s. When we first visited the site back in 2021 we could see the pool’s rim poking out above the carpet tile, but the only way to confirm how much survived beneath was to dig.
The Trust are continuing their research into the significance of the bath, and we are supporting them in the consideration of how best to conserve and present the artefact to future visitors.
