For years the basement at Bath’s Grade 1 listed Assembly Rooms was home to the city’s Fashion Museum.
Now that’s gone into temporary storage – while B&NES looks for finance to pay for a new and permanent home elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the space below that Georgian ballroom has been stripped out and exploratory works are underway to investigate what makes up the original structure of this former high-class place of social assembly, prior to a major planning application going in next year.
The National Trust – who own the building – will be opening a ‘new Georgian experience’ on site in 2026 but are currently still running events at the Assembly Rooms.
Meanwhile, those probes being made into the basement walls and floor have brought to light a rather unusual feature of Georgian entertainment – a cold water Bath.
I am grateful to Tom Boden, the General Manager of The National Trust Bath, for showing me around and telling me more about that rather unique man-made hole in the floor.
Shame the only way as a BANES resident to look around now is being a member of the National Trust or paying £9.
A pity as residents we cant use our Discovery card especially if you want to show visiting friends around.
You may wish to edit the General Managers name it’s Tom Boden not Foden
Thank you Tom Foden was a naval captain l used to know!