As I was walking from the Thames embankment up to the Aldwych I came across a lane that seemed to have an interesting building at the end. So I ignored the sign saying tradesmen deliveries only and went down to have a closer look.
The building straddled the lane with space for a small carriage to get through in days gone by. It is now owned by King's College and once you go beyond the house there are locked gates to prevent you going any further. However just before you get to the building on the right hand side is a very strange building named the 'Roman bath'. At the side of it is a National Trust plaque describing it as 'one of the archaeological puzzlesof London'. There was a light switch on the wall so you could peer inside.
It was difficult to make out much more than an oblong pool which didn't look in the least bit inviting. The information at the side says that it was probably from the 18thcent as it was mentioned in a book by John Pinkerton in 1784. There is also mention of it in the book 'David Copperfield' by Charles Dickens who subjected David to a number of icy plunges here. At that time the bath was supplied from a spring with tens of gallons of fresh water a day. But no-one really knows how long a bath here has been in existence as the history of it prior to the 1700s is quite obscure.
It was difficult to make out much more than an oblong pool which didn't look in the least bit inviting. The information at the side says that it was probably from the 18thcent as it was mentioned in a book by John Pinkerton in 1784. There is also mention of it in the book 'David Copperfield' by Charles Dickens who subjected David to a number of icy plunges here. At that time the bath was supplied from a spring with tens of gallons of fresh water a day. But no-one really knows how long a bath here has been in existence as the history of it prior to the 1700s is quite obscure.
You never know what you'll find when you wander down "Tradesmen Delivery" lanes. This pool doesn't look at all inviting .... imagine taking a plunge there in the middle of winter. Burr!!
ReplyDeleteFascinating!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy joining you on your tours down these lanes. It's like stepping back into the past! :-)
ReplyDeleteMy word, if those walls could talk, imagine the stories they would have to tell ... an interesting discovery!!
ReplyDeleteOh, I do love a mystery like this! Your post above about the tube is quite interesting, too. Great information.
ReplyDeleteOh that is fascinating, I thought only of the Roman baths as those in Rome. By the way, i wish all your titles in "Around the World" are also links that open in a click, hehe, thanks.
ReplyDelete