Bath’s Roman connections are well known – we do very nicely out of attracting tourists from around the world to view the remains of the baths those conquering ‘Italians’ constructed two thousand years ago – utilising the natural hot waters that still surge upwards out of the earth.
Our city – known then as Aquae Sulis – was an ‘R and R’ stop-off point along the Fosse Way – the longest Roman road in Britain, which was laid down in the 1st century AD.
It was 229 miles long and connected Exeter in the southwest to Lincoln in the northeast. It was built to shuttle troops and supplies and connect towns and forts.
Various excavations have been made over the years to trace the route of the road through our city and to try and find its crossing point over the River Avon. Who remembers the Time Team dig at Royal Crescent back in 2003?
Bath was also a bit of a crossroads, as another road crossed the country from London and passed through our city on its way to the ancient port of Sea Mills at Bristol.
Having explained all of that, there is a bit of local excitement today as archaeologists from Cotswold Archaeology have been called in to dig ‘test pits’ across the old Homebase site which is due to be redeveloped for housing. It’s an area of interest – being close to the river – which could contain Roman remains.
Developer HUB and Bridges Fund Management bought the 4.5 acre site to develop with ‘attractive sustainable homes’ – including a significant number of build-to-rent and affordable homes – alongside commercial spaces and an improved public realm.
The picture l took today is of the final ‘test pit’ that has been dug and it’s the one that seems to be showing some evidence that something of interest may lie a little further down below.
I left them calling in the pumps to lower the rainwater level at the bottom of this large hole. However, with another downpour due overnight, they maybe there for some time yet before being able to get back to work.
I think it’s ‘fingers crossed’ that they may be lucky in their endeavours. If they do find evidence of a Roman road it will help increase our knowledge of those ancient routes through our city. Maybe even help pin-point where that Roman bridge over the Avon might have been.
I have emailed Cotswold Archaeology’s Cirencester office in the hope of getting an official statement.
Interesting!!!