In a previous article, I wrote about getting to know Bath, England. I wrote a bit on places that I considered “musts” if you ever decided to travel about 60 miles or so west of London proper into Bath and one of the places on my list was Thermae Bath Spa. There is a great deal of history surrounding the baths in Bath and there is no place better to read about it than at the display at Thermae Bath Spa in Bath. Of course, that’s not why I went to the spa, silly, but it is interesting.
There is evidence that the spas in Bath can be traced as far back as 8,000 B.C. In the 1500’s and 1600’s, the baths themselves were hot spots for royalty and were known to cure all sorts of ailments. In the 1700’s, people took to drinking the waters (which I wouldn’t do myself unless you paid me good money to do it) and in the 1900’s, doctors actually began writing prescriptions for using the mineral waters for treatment. All this fell to the wayside when the original spas closed in 1978. In 1997, a grant for almost 8 million pounds was awarded to the Spa Project to rebuild the spas and remind the city of Bath how it came about. There is extensive research and a wonderful website dedicated to the rebuilding of the spa. There is an archive of film and photographs and even an oral archive with locals talking about their memories of the spas. It’s a great website and very, very interesting, even if you’re not into history.
My B&B; was about a good 15 minute walk from the city center and the Thermae Bath Spa is about a 5 minute walk from the historic Roman Baths. If you’re planning on traveling to the United Kingdom, you probably already know that the American dollar is worth about half a British pound so when I tell you a bit about how much things cost, it will be in pounds so that’s roughly twice in dollars.
I am elaborating a bit about that because you should know that things in Bath, and all over the United Kingdom, will be expensive but in certain cases, we have to put aside our frugal tendencies and splurge on ourselves.
For me, the Thermae Bath Spas were a splurge!! At Thermae Bath Spa, you can choose from over 50 spa, health and beauty treatments including a specially designed set of packages. Prices for these treatments can range from 22 pounds for a 2 hour spa to 95 pounds for a “caviar” facial massage. I did want to splurge but I’m not rich, so I settled for the 2 hour spa treatment for 22 pounds.
Now, I know what you’re thinking…you’re thinking that 22 pounds (or $44.00 for us Yanks) is a lot of dough to shell out to just have a swim but you’re soooooo wrong…
First, they give you this cool, little wrist band with an electronic sensor on it. This sensor locks and unlocks your locker and keeps track of your time when you enter and exit the pond (sounds boring but I am a tech geek). This little band lets you into the two pools and the steam rooms. Don’t lose your band!! You will be charged 10 pounds ($20 dollars!!) to replace it.
After changing into my swimsuit, I headed down to the ground floor pool. This pool is known as “The Minerva Bath” and is a large pool with a with a built-in spa and a “waterfall” on the other side of the pool. My description does not do the pool justice. It’s a beautiful setting with columns and steps and soft currents moving you about the pool. All pool waters are maintained at a constant 35 degrees Centigrade (or 95 degrees Fahrenheit) which sounds really warm but feels really good! The water is the spring-fed mineral water that Bath is known for but in a much, much cleaner setting than the one in the historic Roman Baths. Apparently, Bath sits on the mouth of a volcano making the waters naturally warm and full of good-for-you minerals.
After I floated around in that pool (and sat in the large, built-in spa in the center of it) for a bit, I made my way up to the open-air roof top pool. It was freezing up there! (When I arrived in London the day before, it was snowing so hard, hundreds of flights were cancelled. This is only my second day in the U.K. and even though it wasn’t snowing hard, it was still snowing and very cold.)
So, I was standing there thinking, “There is NO WAY that I’m pulling off these shorts and t-shirt in this cold wind. But then I thought, “how many chances will I have to swim in a rooftop pool like this???” So, I did like the natives, pulled off my shorts and t-shirt and hauled myself as fast as I could into that pool! Aaaahhhh…it was bliss! What a great feeling it was…to look around at the abbey spires and rooftops of Bath, to feel all these strange sensations on my body all at once…what an experience! Any part of my body that was exposed was immediately cold to the touch. It was an exhilarating high! I spent the better part of 30 minutes just allowing myself to feel the temperature extremes and to enjoy the sites of Bath Abbey and the surrounding countryside.
Of course it had to come to an end and sooner or later and I had to get out so I gritted my teeth, climbed out of the pool, and walked very nonchalantly to my shorts and t-shirt and put them on like, “Cold? Who’s cold? Not me!!” I then walked to the stairs (too cold to wait for the lift) and walked down the stairs to the steam room area.
This was heaven on earth! Four steam rooms with different fragrances; one eucalyptus-mint room, one frankincense room, one lavender room, and one mountain pine room. In the middle was a huge shower/waterfall that burst out water like heavy rainfall! On each side were several foot baths where you could put your feet in, fill up with water to the temperature you liked and after the water filled, use a sensor to turn on the jets and pulse your tootsies! Of course, I tried everything and it was all good…very, very good.
All in all, it was worth every penny I spent on it. They do try to get a bit more money out of you by charging about an extra 10 pounds (20 bucks!!!) for the use of a robe, slippers, and towel but I’m too Mexicana for that baby… I took my own towel, my chanclas (slip on shoes), and walked around wearing shorts and a t-shirt over my bathing suit. Once your time is up, you have an extra 15 minutes to change back into your clothes and to blow-dry your hair and such.
I am including the link again (it is also included in my previous article about Bath) because the website is chock-full of information that is vital to your visit, should you decide to use the Spa. The most important thing to remember is that if you want actual spa treatments such as body wraps, massage, and various therapies, you are encouraged to make your reservations WELL in advance of your arrival. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are their busiest days and if you plan to visit on any of these days, you should know that they may be very full. If you only want a spa (pool) session, you can go and pay the same day but if they are full for that as well, you will be issued a “Priority Access” card with a time to return. It is also good to know that if you book a therapy of any kind, it must be booked along with a spa session. In other words, you will need to pay for the therapy and a pool session. Pool sessions are sold in 2 or 4 hour increments so you’ll be paying for the treatment plus the pool session.
There’s information on how to book your treatment but I read on several consumer-information websites that spa personnel are not easy to reach so my recommendation would be to book via e-mail and follow up with a phone call to verify that the email was received. Treatments must also be paid at the time of the booking.
Yes, it’s a bit of a hassle and yes, it is a pretty pricey experience but you know the old saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Well in this case, splurge a little on yourself and do as the Romans did and take a dip in the baths. You won’t regret it!
