The Excavations of Roman Baths at Bath

The story opens with a curious clue from a 16th‑century traveler who described a “mild bath” and a hidden sluice that once fed a mill wheel south of the King’s Bath. That fragment of observation sparked a centuries‑long puzzle, and the narrator’s own excavations finally give those early notes a concrete shape. Listeners will follow the painstaking process of peeling back layers of medieval rubble to expose the Roman masonry, tracing how water once rose from the ancient spring, spilled into a mill, and then disappeared beneath the streets of Bath.

In the heart of the tale, the author sketches the great Roman bath itself—a spacious, 43‑by‑34‑foot hall framed by twelve sturdy pilasters, its roof once supported by a rhythm of stone columns. A semi‑circular pool, a raised stone chair, and well‑worn steps tell a vivid picture of daily life in a city built around healing waters. The narrative blends scholarly detail with the tangible thrill of discovery, allowing listeners to imagine walking among the broken columns and hearing the echo of water that once defined a civilization.