Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that Roman Bath extended further west than previously believed, following the discovery of ancient ditches, pottery, coins and a fragment of a military helmet beneath the city’s historic Assembly Rooms.
The discoveries, made during the National Trust’s £20 million restoration of the 18th-century landmark, have expanded the known boundaries of Roman occupation in Bath and suggest that further remains could lie beneath neighbouring Georgian streets and properties.
Archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology uncovered several substantial Roman ditches dating from the second to third centuries, providing evidence of activity in an area that had previously been inaccessible to archaeological investigation.
The findings offer new insights into the development of the Roman city of Aquae Sulis, which is best known for its baths and temple complex.
Although Roman activity has long been documented beyond the city’s second-century walls, particularly to the north along Northgate Street and through the Walcot area following the Fosse Way, the latest discoveries extend the known area of occupation westwards.
Experts believe the findings indicate that Roman settlement may have covered a considerably wider area than previously understood.
Roman military helmet among significant finds
Among the discoveries was a rare fragment of a Roman military helmet, providing further evidence of the involvement of military personnel in the construction of the city and the Roman roads radiating from it.
Some of these soldiers are thought to have retired in villas close to Bath and in the surrounding countryside.
Archaeologists also recovered almost 60 fragments of Roman pottery from a single ditch, alongside glass vessels, animal bones, roof tiles and three Roman coins.
A limestone tessera, a small piece of stone that may once have formed part of a mosaic floor, was also discovered.
The collection of artefacts offers a glimpse into the lives of people who lived and worked in the area nearly 2,000 years ago, although the precise nature of Roman activity at the site remains uncertain.
Tatjana LeBoff, National Trust Project Curator at Bath Assembly Rooms, described the discoveries as significant for the city’s understanding of its Roman past.
“This is a significant discovery for Bath and so wonderful to find Roman remains under our Georgian building,” she said.
“Discovering evidence of Roman history is big news in Bath, which is famed for its Roman heritage. The items uncovered tell us a great deal about the people who lived and worked here nearly 2,000 years ago.
“Future research into these objects and the wider landscape of Bath will give us greater understanding of how people across the centuries have lived.”
Further Roman remains could lie beneath Georgian Bath
The excavation marks the first opportunity for archaeologists to investigate ground up to a metre beneath the Assembly Rooms, where the Georgian building has historically prevented access to earlier archaeological remains.
Marek Lewcun, of Wessex Archaeology, said the discoveries would help researchers build a more complete picture of Roman Bath.
“Having previously uncovered parts of Roman Bath and helped piece together the area of Roman occupation, it was exciting to find evidence of Roman activity below Bath Assembly Rooms,” he said.
“It’s not every day you get to explore the ground below a Georgian building. This was the first opportunity to go up to a metre below the Rooms to see what history lay beneath.
“What we don’t know is exactly what was happening here in the Roman period. Perhaps future work involving neighbouring streets and properties will tell us more.”
The findings raise the possibility that further evidence of Roman occupation survives beneath surrounding streets and buildings that have never been investigated archaeologically.
Researchers hope future excavations and analysis of the newly recovered artefacts will help establish how the area was used and how it fitted into the wider Roman settlement.
The discoveries come as the National Trust continues its £20 million restoration of Bath Assembly Rooms, one of the city’s most prominent Georgian landmarks.
The building is scheduled to reopen in 2027 following its restoration and transformation into a new visitor attraction.
Sources : National Trust