Beyond the Baths: Winter Work at the Baths

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Winter Work at the Baths

After the busy Summer and Autumn months, the winter period is when we take the opportunity, as the site is quieter, to do maintenance and development work.

Visitors to the Roman Baths may have noticed that this year, that work seems particularly extensive. Just this week alone has seen scaffolding go up round the exterior of the Pump Room and across the Sacred Spring, in advance of work being done to repair the roof of the Pump Room, and to clean its exterior, and later in the month we’ll see scaffolding going up in the Great Bath for further improvements to the site.

Scaffolding erected ahead of repairs to Pump Room roof

However, the most extensive work is that going on behind the hoarding in the museum area…

The temple precinct area is currently closed to visitors as we are undergoing major development work to install a new walkway. This involves a substantial amount of work by contractors, including the protection of the monument before work began.

Temple Precinct protected against dust and damage during development work

Changes to the modern elements of the precinct, is uncovering some interesting features, including Georgian and Victorian elements of the building that had previously been covered up by false walls.

Victorian tiles and doorway in Temple precinct

The conservation of the site is an on-going feature of life at the Roman Baths, and we are constantly checking the environment on the site, and any changes to it. One event we are currently monitoring is the recent rise in water levels at the Roman Baths (and across the whole region!). Though they have now dropped down to normal levels, Christmas Eve saw us presented with some of the highest water levels on site staff could remember!