The Roman Bath’s Archway Project is offering people the opportunity of giving a Christmas present with a difference this year.
From 1 December to 12 December 2017, the Roman Baths Foundation will run a Christmas appeal called ‘12 days of Archway’ to support the Project.
Instead of sending a Christmas card, people can sponsor a virtual tile from £5 and leave their mark on the Archway Project. Tiles can be customised with a personal Christmas greeting. Sponsoring a tile will help to open up an area of the Roman Baths not seen by the wider public before.
Alternatively, adopting a Roman Stone could be a unique gift for a friend or relative. There are three adoption levels, ranging from £100 to £1,000. Stone adopters may receive regular updates about the stones, invitations to exclusive events and acknowledgement on a donor wall, depending on the level chosen. Adopting a stone will help the National Lottery supported Archway Project to create a fascinating digital learning resource for children and young people to use in the new Learning Centre.
There will be special prizes for people signing up to our newsletter during the appeal period. Prizes will include an afternoon tea for two in The Pump Room; an ‘Above and Below’ tour for two people; and a pair of saver tickets to visit the Roman Baths, Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery.
On Friday 8 December, the Archway Project will have a stall at Bath Christmas Market for one day. This will be a chance for people to find out more about the project, to donate or enter the prize draw. There will be festive chocolate coins available to buy, with all proceeds going towards the Archway Project.
The Roman Baths Foundation is a charity set up to raise funds for conservation and education work at the Roman Baths. Raising funds for the Archway Project is its first flagship project.
David Beeton, Chairman of the Roman Baths Foundation, said: “12 days of Archway offers people some exciting gift ideas, and the money raised will help inspire the next generation of archaeologists for years to come.”
About the Archway Project
The Archway Project will increase the space dedicated to education at the Roman Baths by 400%. Situated above the former Spa laundry in Swallow Street, two new learning spaces will enable the Roman Baths to develop formal and informal learning programmes, engaging a wide range of communities and audiences.
The Learning Centre will be connected to the Roman Baths by an undercroft that passes through Roman remains beneath York Street. An underground Investigation Zone will provide hands-on access to Roman remains through facilitated learning sessions.
On the ground floor of the Swallow Street building, a World Heritage Centre will contain imaginative displays that explain why the World Heritage Site of Bath is so special. Admission will be free for everyone.
The Archway Project will also open up new areas of the Roman Baths to visitors, including a laconicum (sauna) and exercise courtyard.
Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project has been awarded £3.4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
To find out more please visit www.romanbaths.co.uk/archway or come and speak to the Archway Project team at Bath Christmas Market on Friday 8 December.
About the Roman Baths Foundation
The Roman Baths Foundation is an independent charity (No. 1163044) set up to raise funds for conservation and education work at the Roman Baths. The Roman Baths Foundation aims to:
- promote, preserve, develop and maintain the Roman Baths and Pump Room complex, including all buildings, monuments, collections, structures and archaeological remains and artefacts.
- advance the education, interest and appreciation of the general public with respect to the Roman Baths.
www.romanbaths.co.uk/foundation
About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk. Follow us on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram and use #HLFsupported.
Above and Below tour
The Above and Below tour takes visitors to some of the tunnels under the Roman Baths and adjacent streets and also gives them an insight into the work being done above ground to transform nearby buildings into a Learning Centre for the Roman Baths and a World Heritage Centre for the city, as part of the Archway Project.
www.romanbaths.co.uk/aboveandbelow
The Pump Room restaurant
Regarded as the social heart of Bath for more than two centuries, The Pump Room is a striking neo-classical salon with a fountain for drinking the hot spa water. The Pump Room restaurant is open daily for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea, with live music by the Pump Room Trio or resident pianist.
www.romanbaths.co.uk/pump-room-restaurant
