Roman Bath discoveries beneath Georgian landmark reveal wider footprint of Aquae Sulis
Archaeologists have uncovered new evidence of Roman activity beneath Bath Assembly Rooms, expanding what is known about the ancient city of Aquae Sulis and suggesting that further remains could still lie beneath neighbouring Georgian streets and properties.
The discoveries were made during the National Trust’s £20 million restoration of the Assembly Rooms, one of Bath’s best-known 18th-century buildings. Excavations by Wessex Archaeology revealed several substantial Roman ditches dating from the second to third centuries, in an area that had previously been largely inaccessible to archaeological investigation.
The finds include almost 60 fragments of Roman pottery from a single ditch, along with glass vessels, animal bones, roof tiles, three Roman coins and a limestone tessera that may once have formed part of a mosaic floor.
Among the most striking discoveries was part of a Roman military helmet. Archaeologists say the fragment adds to evidence of military involvement in the construction of Bath and the roads that connected the city with the wider region. Some military personnel may also have settled in retirement in villas around Bath and the surrounding countryside.
Roman remains are already well established around the Roman Baths and temple complex, as well as beyond the second-century walls of Aquae Sulis. Evidence has previously been found to the north, including around Northgate Street and Walcot, following the route of the Fosse Way.
The discoveries beneath the Assembly Rooms extend that archaeological picture westwards. Because the Georgian buildings prevented earlier investigation, the latest excavation offers a rare glimpse of what survives beneath Bath’s later architectural layers.
Tatjana LeBoff, National Trust Project Curator at Bath Assembly Rooms, said the objects provide an opportunity to learn more about the people who lived and worked in Bath nearly 2,000 years ago.
Marek Lewcun of Wessex Archaeology said the excavation was the first opportunity to investigate up to a metre below the Assembly Rooms, while noting that the precise nature of the Roman activity remains uncertain.
The findings also raise the possibility that further Roman remains survive beneath nearby streets and properties that have never been archaeologically examined.
The Assembly Rooms are due to reopen in 2027 following their restoration and transformation into a new visitor attraction.
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