We don’t venture onto the
site unless necessary, and so it is that in my three years at The Roman Baths,
I am still ticking off areas of the site I’ve been on! I came in recently to
discover the Sacred Spring being cleaned (this is something that is done periodically
to remove excess build-up of algae (and bird feathers!)), and having a valid
excuse to venture through the door to the Spring, I went exploring…
We’re currently designing a
new display to go in the King’s Lounge (overlooking the Sacred Spring), and one
of the objects going in the case is a 17th century bathing ring.
There are 25 of these, still in situ around the walls of what was the King’s
Bath; but as there would also have been rings around the Queen’s Bath, I was
eager to see if we could establish whether the ring came from the King’s Bath…it
looks like it may be from the King’s Bath, there’s a pretty big hole it could
have fitted!
Bathing ring from the King’s Bath
Currently in the King’s
Lounge, we have the detail of some of the inscriptions on the bathing rings,
and so whilst down there I took the opportunity to do a photographic survey of
all the rings I could (safely) reach, wanting to see how many it was
possible to still identify…
Well, so far I have managed six;
the inscriptions on the rings have been worn over time, so I was working with
varying levels of visible inscription.
Working with the illustration
and comparing them to my photos, I was able to identify four of the rings.
Three of the inscribed rings, in situ
Further research led me to
discover that in a book of 1883 ‘The Mineral Bath’s of Bath: The Bathes of
Bathe’s Ayde in the Reign of Charles II’ by Charles E. Davis, there were
inscriptions of 13 bathing rings around the King’s Bath. Using this information
I was able to identify another ring that we had illustrated (though all you can
see today is the inscription on the attachment, which wasn’t illustrated).
Bathing ring identified by inscription on attachment
One further ring, though not
illustrated, had enough of its inscription remaining to be identifiable using
the publication; reading ‘Sir William Whitmore, Barronnet, when Mr. Robert
Chapman his Frind was 2nd the Mayor, 1677’.
Bathing ring identified through 1883 publication
Further rings bear hints of
remaining inscription; maybe one day we’ll be able to get closer looks at them
all and identify more.
Verity
Collections Assistant
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