A Roman look at Bathwick

During the winter months, Bath and Camden Archaeological Society holds a series of lectures at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN.

Each lecture begins at 7.30pm with an admission charge of £3 for members (on display of a current BACAS membership card), and £5 for the general public.

Thursday 12 February 2015
Annual General Meeting with Update on Society Projects

Thursday 12 March 2015
‘Bathwick Street Excavations’ Richard McConnell and Cheryl Green

Since the 1970s, archaeologists have discovered much about the bathing establishment of Aquae Sulis and the suburb which extended along Walcot Street and London Street, where industries co-existed with the homes of the population. In 2012 one of the most important excavations in Bath in recent years took place at Bathwick Street, on the opposite side of the river, about which little was previously known. Although numerous finds have been found scattered across the parish of Bathwick, both on the low-lying ground close to the river and on the slopes leading up to Bathwick Woods, this was the first time that an open area excavation had examined this part of Roman Bath in fine detail. The results were quite unexpected, and throw new light on the occupation and activity on the Bathwick side of the river. The excavation not only produced unusual archaeology, but a wide variety of finds including an important collection of Roman glass, complete pots, and an extremely rare coin bearing the three busts of Carausius (287-293), who ruled over Britain between 287 and 293, and the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (285-310), who ruled the eastern and western empire overseas.

The excavations were conducted by Context One Archaeological Services, and the lecture will be given by Richard McConnell, its Projects Director, and Cheryl Green, its Post-Excavation Manager.