Welwyn Roman Baths facts for kids
Photograph of the baths.
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 Location in Hertfordshire
Location in the United Kingdom
Location in Europe
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| Location | Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England |
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| Coordinates | 51°49′40″N 0°12′29″W / 51.8277°N 0.2081°W |
| Type | Roman |
| History | |
| Periods | Roman Empire |
The Welwyn Roman Baths are an amazing ancient Roman ruin. They are hidden right under the A1(M) motorway! You can find them just north of Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire, England.
These baths were a small part of a much larger Roman home called the Dicket Mead villa. This villa was built a very long time ago, in the 3rd century AD. Imagine, that's over 1,700 years ago!
The village of Welwyn was likely a Roman-British settlement. A Roman road used to cross the river Mimram here. There was even another Roman villa nearby, at a place called Lockleys estate.
Contents
What Was the Dicket Mead Villa?
The Dicket Mead villa was a large Roman complex. It was never fully dug up before the motorway was built. But we know the baths were just one of at least four buildings. This whole area was probably part of a big Roman farm. Some people think it might have even been like a hotel. This is because it was so close to important Roman roads.
How Were the Baths Found?
The ruins of the baths were first discovered in 1960. A local archaeologist named Tony Rook found them. Over the next 10 years, the baths were slowly uncovered by digging teams.
Soon after the digging finished, something big happened. The Ministry of Transport announced plans for a new motorway. And guess what? The motorway was going to go right over the excavation site!
Visiting the Welwyn Roman Baths Today
To save the baths, a special plan was made. A strong steel vault was built over the top of them. This vault also included a tunnel for people to access the baths. Once the vault was finished, the motorway was built right on top.
Today, the remains of the baths sit about 9 metres (30 feet) below Junction 6 of the motorway. You can only see about half of the original baths. But what you can see is really cool!
What Can You See Inside?
Inside the vault, you can explore several parts of the baths:
- The hypocaust: This was the Roman central heating system. Hot air flowed under the floors to warm the rooms.
- The tepidarium: This was the warm room. People would start here to get used to the heat.
- The caldarium: This was the hot room. It was like a sauna!
- The frigidarium: This was the cold room. It had a cold bath, perfect for cooling down. The floor and bath were made from a special Roman concrete called opus signinum.
Most of the Dicket Mead villa is now covered by the road. But the things found during the dig are kept safe. You can find these items at the Mill Green Museum. This museum is part of the Welwyn Hatfield Museum Service, which also runs the baths. If you want to see the stored items, you can contact the museum curator.
Images for kids
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View along the hypocaust
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Statue model sitting on the opus signinum
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Side view
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Quarter view
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The skeletal remains of a woman buried on the Dicket Mead site.
See also
- List of Roman public baths
