York Roman Baths

The York Legionary Bathhouse lies beneath the Roman Bath Inn in St. Samson’s Square.

Remarkably the existence of the York Roman baths was unknown until the site was excavated in the 1930′s and the caldarium or ‘hot room’ of a Roman legionary bathhouse was discovered.

It is believed that the bathhouse was erected close inside the south-eastern defences of the Roman fortress, possibly sometime during the early second century AD.

It lies just south of the site of the porta principia sinistra, the south-eastern gateway of the Roman legionary fortress, which was discovered in 1854 beneath King’s Square along with the important inscription RIB 665.

After a hard day defending the city, the Roman soldiers would have met here to relax and socialise as well cleanse themselves in the complex’s hot steam rooms and cool plunge pools.

There are 4 main parts to the bathhouse:

• The Caldarium (hot room);
• the Cold Plunge Bath;
• the Balneum (cooler than the Caladarium);
• the Fornax (housed the slaves & furnaces).

As the baths lie directly underneath the Roman Bath inn, the only access is through the pub. For a small fee (just ask at the bar), you can descend to the small purpose built museum below ground to see the remains of the baths, including Roman artefacts and replica articles of everyday life.

The apsidal walls and underfloor ‘hypocaust’ heating system is easily identified, while information boards explain how the complex worked, as well as detailing the structure’s history. It even contains tiles which clearly show the signs of nails from the sandals of Romans who trod upon them before the tile had hardened. The tiles appear to show the seal of the 9th Roman legion, which founded Eboracum (York) in 71 AD.

Visitor Information for the York Roman Baths

Proximity to Minster – 290 metres; 4 minutes walk

Holiday In York | York Roman Baths

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