Click on Exiters location in the Empire to see more! Exeter ! The Military Outpost with a bath in the South of Britain.

Exeter ! And the interactive map screen!

Exeter ! And the incredibly high quality background photos! The City of Exeter Why the bath is Unique The Significanc e of the bath

The City of Exeter was established as a military outpost in what is now known as Devon. Exeter ! The Military Outpost in the South of Britain. Right there Despite being a Military outpost, a large recoverage of Roman coins from the area indicates it was once a thriving trade center. After thriving for a period of time, Exiter eventually underwent a period of decline, and a church was built over its bathhouse, not to be recovered until Return to home Return to map

The baths in the thermae were constructed entirely of timber and clay, as well as swimming-pools lined with sheets of lead. Some have hypocausts of timber; others, without hypocausts, must have been heated with braziers within the rooms. This style of building Thermae has been found nowhere else in the classic world. Exeter ! And the incredibly high quality background photos! Return to home Return to map The heating system of the Exeter baths reflects its advanced architecture. Much larger spaces had to be heated in this new type of baths; and at the same time the contemporary taste was for higher temperatures than formerly. One technical innovation designed to channel hot air between the wall and its tile surface was the introduction of hollow rectangular 'box' tiles to line the walls and possibly also the vaults, an improvement on the earlier flat tiles with lugs or nipples used as spacers to separate the tile from the wall. Exeter is one of the earliest baths where box tiles were employed.

Exeter ! The Soldiers Respite Exeter is one of the small number of baths on the north-western fringes of the Empire which suggest that the Imperial type was already emerging in the mid- 1st century AD. It carries great significance for being in a military compound, as it remained one of the identifiable pieces of Roman Culture to the soldiers, as well as being a hygienic center and was likely revered as a spa for giving solace to a soldiers life in a relatively unfamiliar country. Return to home Return to map

The heating system of the Exeter baths reflects its advanced architecture. Much larger spaces had to be heated in this new type of baths; and at the same time the contemporary taste was for higher temperatures than formerly. One technical innovation designed to channel hot air between the wall and its tile surface was the introduction of hollow rectangular 'box' tiles to line the walls and possibly also the vaults, an improvement on the earlier flat tiles with lugs or nipples used as spacers to separate the tile from the wall. Exeter is one of the earliest baths where box tiles were employed. At the point where heat from the furnaces entered the hypocaust, iron frameworks were used to support the raised floor - presumably there were fears that heat from the furnaces would quickly disintegrate the bricks used elsewhere in the hypocaust. Iron bars were also used, laid diagonally across the tops of the hypocaust supports, to carry the floors of the rooms above. This use of iron to strengthen the construction of the hypocaust has not been seen elsewhere and hints at the builders' lack of confidence in traditional techniques of construction for a new type of building.

Exeter ! And the incredibly high quality background photos! In the 1970s, an excavation in the modern day town of Devon, England found a bathhouse in the historic district of Exeter. Over 1000 coins have been found at Exeter indicating it once was a thriving trading center. Exeter is one of the small number of baths on the north-western fringes of the Empire which suggest that the Imperial type was already emerging in the mid-1st century AD. At the point where heat from the furnaces entered the hypocaust, iron frameworks were used to support the raised floor - presumably there were fears that heat from the furnaces would quickly disintegrate the bricks used elsewhere in the hypocaust. Iron bars were also used, laid diagonally across the tops of the hypocaust supports, to carry the floors of the rooms above. This use of iron to strengthen the construction of the hypocaust has not been seen elsewhere and hints at the builders' lack of confidence in traditional techniques of construction for a new type of building. The baths in the thermae were constructed entirely of timber and clay, as well as swimming-pools lined with sheets of lead. Some have hypocausts of timber; others, without hypocausts, must have been heated with braziers within the rooms. This style of building Thermae has been found nowhere else in the classic world.

Exeter ! And the Modern Day Equivalent A modern day equivalent of the Baths would be Fitness centers, due to a high number of similarities! Fitness Centers contain exercise equipment, much like the Palestra. Cold water Area for Lap swimming like the frigidarium Hot water area for relaxing like the calidarium Area for actual Bathing, like the Tepidarium. Return to map

Exeter ! And the area more related to the thermae in general! The Structure of the Bath The Thermae’s significanc e to the Romans The history of the Thermae Return to map

Exeter ! And the techniques used to power the hot baths! Fires were lit under a Hyppocaust (shown above to power The Caldarium, seen here. An enclosed bath with a hot water, the hyppocaust was placed under the Caldarium with a constant fire to keep its waters hot. A flue was put in place to redirect the hot air up into the water. Return to Home Return to map

Exeter ! And the cultural significance of the baths! Return to Home Return to map Given that the baths were public places, trips to them were more social than what we generally associate with bathing. A less professional social settings than the forums, the baths were shared amongst those from all levels of social hierarchy, and generally visited as part of a morning routine. Roman Baths were a place to see colleagues and peers in an informal setting

As one of the many things lifted from the Greeks by the Romans, the practice of public bathing came to the Romans in the 2 nd century BCE. Starting with small, privately owned bathhouses called Balneae, large scale thermae for public use were eventually commissioned by the state, and paid for by the states wealthiest citizens. For relatively cheap, bathing became free for public use, although the wealthiest citizens were still expected to maintain upkeep of their local Thermae. Exeter ! And the vaguely interesting history! Return to Home Return to map