Tucked away in the basement of an unassuming office block on Lower Thames Street lies one of London’s best-kept historical secrets: Billingsgate Roman House and Baths. Amazingly preserved, this site offers a unique insight into Roman life in ancient Londinium, having survived 2,000 years of building, fire and bombing.
The bathhouse was first built around 150 AD. and was expanded a century later. The bath house was used right up until the end of Roman rule at the beginning of the fourth century. The site was rediscovered in 1848, during the construction of the Coal Exchange.
Dr Andrew Lane, an archaeologist who leads tours of the ancient property, said that in an unusual move the Victorians decided to preserve the site in the building’s basement. He added: “I like to think that the Victorians are great builders and engineers. And here they had found part of London’s earliest built history, as well as a great piece of engineering, because of its preserved underfloor heating under the Hypocaust (where an open space under a floor allows it to be heated by a fire or oven below).”
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Billingsgate Roman House and Baths, owned and managed by the City of London Corporation, has been open to the public for the past five years. But the site remains somewhat elusive, with no clear signs indicating the historic treasure hidden beneath the office building.
Visitors must Book a tour through the City of London website, otherwise they will not be able to find the Roman treasure. On the day of the tour, a guide will meet you outside and lead you through inconspicuous doors that resemble a closed shop.
Even the inside of the building looks like a garage, with information papers stuck in gray cabinets. But when you descend the stairs, the remarkably well-preserved ruins come into view.
Seeing the site firsthand was a surreal experience. The ruins are in such excellent condition that it feels as if the archaeologists have just finished their work.
Just by looking at the ruins, distinct areas of the bathhouse can be identified: the cold room (frigidarium), where the Romans would leave their clothes; the warm room (tepidarium), where they would relieve themselves in a warm bath; and the hot room (caldarium), located next to the still visible furnace.
Around the bath house are the remains of what is believed to be a wealthy private villa. The inhabitants of ancient Londinium entered the bathhouse from the north corridor of the house to enjoy their luxurious baths.
Between 1967 and 1970 further excavations were carried out during the replacement of the coal exchange and the extension of Lower Thames Street. These efforts integrated the Roman remains into the basement of the new building, although it was not immediately opened to the public.
Today, the site welcomes visitors during the summer months, as it is too cold and humid during the winter. Tours are available every Saturday until November – £12 for adults and £10 for children – and can be booked through the City of London website. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore this hidden gem of Roman history.
