Bath's hot springs inspired Roman bathing complexes dedicated to Sulis Minerva, with rituals moving between frigidarium and caldarium and treatments using a strigil. Georgian Bath became a fashionable spa destination with the King's Bath, Queen's Bath and the Pump Room attracting aristocracy, artists and authors. The city continues to innovate in wellness: Cleveland Pools reopened in 2023 after restoration though currently closed due to flooding, and The Francis Hotel on Queen Square will add a thermal spa as part of major renovations. Numerous other spas and retreats in Bath offer both results-driven treatments and hedonistic relaxation.
It was the Romans who made a showpiece of the hot springs in Bath, their lavish bathing complex built around them, dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, setting the stage for the slickest of rituals: plunging from frigidarium (cold pool) to caldarium (hot bath and steam treatments) before being oiled up and scraped down with a no-nonsense-looking 'strigil'.
Fast forward to the 'season' in Georgian Bath, as the city basked in its golden era, and sedan chairs could be found weaving through the cobbled streets delivering their wealthy passengers for a dip at the 12th-century King's Bath or perhaps the smaller Queen's Bath, before winding up at the chandelier-clad Pump Room.
This is a city that has form when it comes to spas, the OG of wellness for nearly two millennia, and still innovating today. In 2023, the historic lido Cleveland Pools, built in 1815, reopened after a 20-year restoration project to great applaud (although it's currently closed due to flooding) and The Francis Hotel on Queen Square - the former home of 18th-century architect John Wood the Elder - is soon to open a long-awaited thermal spa as part of the hotel's multimillion-pound renovation.
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