Laden with historic legend and offering a gracefully therapeutic experience today, Bath’s hot springs are
a buoyant natural resource, unique in the UK. Melissa Blease dives into the Thermae Bath Spa.
Over the centuries, Bath has been built and developed around the natural, geothermally heated, mineral-rich springs that flow beneath the city’s historical Roman remains. Today, the Thermae Bath Spa – which opened its doors to the public in 2006 – enjoys superstar status at the epicentre of modern-day life in the city, reintroducing the ancient customs of spa culture to locals and visitors alike.
The Thermae Bath Spa brings together two grand baths, a rooftop pool, a wellness suite, a stand-alone pool on a sacred site, a café, a visitor centre and a shop. This is a sleekly-designed complex where spa facilities and state-of-the-art features flourish together against a ‘uniquely Bath’ backdrop. The Spa offers a memorable, relaxing experience for water babies, those in need of refuge from the stresses and strains of modern life and grand design enthusiasts.
The Thermae Bath Spa neither detracts from nor dominates its surroundings; even though the main building is largely wrapped in stainless steel and multiple sheets of glass, the height and scale pay subtle, respectful homage to the surrounding structures.
YOUR VISIT
Although it tops the ‘Must Do’ list for around 290,000 visitors every year, the Thermae Bath Spa attracts locals as well as tourists. The clever layout encourages visitors to wander freely from space to space, so it’s always possible to find yourself a quiet, secluded oasis of blissful tranquility.
A standard two-hour spa session allows you to experience the Thermae Bath Spa at your own pace: make a gentle splash in the glamorous Minerva Bath (the largest of the baths), relax in the multi-sensory Wellness Suite and float around the spectacular Rooftop Pool, which offers breathtaking views over the city and is naturally warm and steamy at any hour of the day or night.
If you fancy a refreshment break, don’t worry about revisiting your locker for your wallet; purchases at the Springs Café are charged to your TBS SmartBand and paid for on exit. The extensive Spa Treatment menu (which must be booked at the same time as a standard spa session) offers around 20 treatments and therapies, ranging from traditional or hot stone massage to pampering face and body treatments. The Thermae Bath Spa’s array of signature treatments includes the likes of the exotic Frangipani Delight exfoliation ritual to nourish and cocoon the body in moisture, while buffing the skin to reveal a radiant, renewed glow and harmonised mind. Or, if you’re looking for a relaxing evening activity, make the most of the stunning views from the rooftop pool with the Twilight for Two package, which includes a two-hour spa session and a meal for two, plus a relaxing treatment.
Want a quick fix? Pop into the Cross Bath – an intimate, stand-alone facility with its own open-air thermal bath – for a 90-minute session, and experience instant nirvana.
HISTORY
In 1995 Bath and North East Somerset Council applied to the National Lottery for new project funding to regenerate Bath’s reputation as a modern-day spa destination. Two years later, the Millennium Commission granted the Bath Spa Project £7.78m to restore five historic buildings including the 18th-century Hot Bath, the ancient Cross Bath and the New Royal Bath: the stunning glass and stone edifice designed by internationally acclaimed architects Sir Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners, today housing the main spa complex.
Until the spa restoration was completed in 2006, the thermal waters that flowed from the springs, which naturally contain over 42 minerals and trace elements, was rerouted to pour into the River Avon. Today, over one million litres of this natural resource is used in the Thermae Bath Spa.
The Hot Bath (a Grade II* listed building) dates from 1777, designed by architect John Wood the Younger. The Cross Bath enjoys designated Sacred Site status within the World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s Sacred Land Project. The original site and water source has origins that date back to a time and place before any form of records were kept, but he structure that surrounds the Cross Bath was rebuilt by 18th-century architect to the City of Bath John Palmer and his predecessor Thomas Baldwin in 1789 on the site of a medieval bath and on the original more than 2,000-year-old Roman Cistern.
Visit: Thermae Bath Spa, Hot Bath Street, Bath BA1 1S
Open daily from 9am – 9.30pm
Standard two-hour session £42.50 (weekday), £47.50
(weekend), includes use of towel, robe.
See web for special packages and add-on treatments
Web: thermaebathspa.com
Tel: 01225 331234
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