Lydney Park - Baths

Bath House

It seems clear that people must have travelled long distances to visit the temple. A large guest house was erected for visitors a stone’s throw from the temple. This square building and its central courtyard now lie buried beneath the turf but a large part of its bathhouse is exposed to view.

Only about half of the bathhouse is exposed. You can see the Caldarium (the hot baths), two furnaces, a Sudatorium (sweat room), and a Tepidarium (warm room). Still buried beneath the turf are the Frigidarium (cold water baths) and changing rooms, as well as a latrine block that emptied over the edge of the hill. The Tepidarium and Sudatorium both have remains of a hypocaust system for underfloor heating.

© R M Wheeler

The bath complex is located in a dramatic position on the very northern edge of the hilltop. On one side of the baths ran the Long Building, which was divided into stalls, or booths, probably occupied by healers or used as shops for selling religious objects. Visitors in search of healing may also have slept in the Long Building, as it was considered beneficial to sleep within a temple precinct.

 

Sites near Lydney Park - Baths

Visiting Lydney Park - Baths

Address: Lydney Park Estate, Old Park, Lydney, Gloucestershire, England, GL15 6BU
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