Bath - Baths and Bathrooms

When thinking of Bath often the first image that springs to mind is the Roman Baths in Bath. Nowadays the selection of bathing opportunities are vast ranging from the basic bath, spa baths, jacuzzis to sophisticated showers and steam baths.

Bathrooms suites have become in sophisticated partly through European influence and partly because of the increasingly wide range from Bathroom retailers such as B&Q, who offer a wide range of shower cubicles, shower door, mixer tap, lighting, vanity units and shower  and bath hardware to ensure the perfect installation. The bath and shower option from many retailers now include jacuzzi options, spa bath and also  a freestanding bath shower option, often in a retro claw feet style. Why not make your bath as relaxing a s possible with the addition of bath bombs.

Many people now expect any house they buy to have an ensuite bathroom for the main bedroom, to relieve the pressure on the family bathroom.  This gives another opportunity to try out new bathroom ideas and bathroom tiles. Much of the choice such as flooring in the bathroom is a lifestyle choice. Many people like to finish their scheme off with a bathroom window blind.

Bath Spa Treatments

Bath Spa also has Britains only natural thermal Spa – Thermae Bath Spa which is still enjoyed by visitors from across the world with its wide range of Spa treatments. It provides a fantastic relaxing day with excellent facilities to be pampered in Bath with its unique roof top pool overlooking the city of Bath. The Bath House Spa at the Royal Crescent Hotel have launched two new product treatment ranges . The contemporary Bath House was created from a converted coach house and stables, opening onto the beautiful hotel gardens. Visitors to the Bath house can enjoy the warm wonderful relaxation pool, there are also plunge tubs, a sauna and steam Rooms The Bath House is open to non-residents for treatments and for day retreats. The Bath House also hosts the hotel's fitness centre for resident guests and Royal Crescent Club members.

Bath Stores in Bath

Bath city centre has a wide range of retailers selling high quality fittings in a wide range of style to suit every theme.

The Bath Shop -  3-4 Cork Place Upper Bristol Road Bath

Bathstore  - Rosewell Court James Street West Bath

Bath store is the uk’s leading bathroom retailer with over 160 stores nation wide offering a wide selection of bathroom fittings and accessories and offers a new interactive catalogue online.

History of Bathing

The origins of Romans interest in bathing is unclear however they brought their style of bathhouse to Britain. It is known that baths were built in to some Egyptian palaces and also Greeks saw bathing as a social activity. It is thought that the Romans first saw used bathing for its practical purpose of washing but as the routine developed the bath systems became more sophisticated. Generally this consisted of a hot bath (caldarium), a cold pool (fridgidarium) and steam bath. The original baths are now below street level fell in to disrepair when the Romans left, with the current building in Bath having been built in the 1800s.

Bathing became a daily activity for all classes of Romans, generally at public baths which could accommodate hundreds of people. As this became the norm the sophistication grew to offering food, refreshments and personal training. AS this social activity grew so did the facilities, growing to include libraries, debating facilities and rooms for private parties. The development would generally be set in a large park area to enhance the the feeling of relaxation that the baths created.

Of course the Romans were not the only culture with a long history of baths. Bathing is a very strong in Scandanavian culture where the process of bathing goes back to the beginning of their history, where is thought bathing in hot spa water was common. This then developed into the sauna. Using water over hot stones to create a vapour in a closed area or hut, so allowing the body to sweat and exfoliate. Again because this was a communal activity it became a social activity. However unlike the Romans it is likely that the lower social classes visited the sauna less regularly.

Bathing in steam is also believed to be popular in Paris around 1300AD. Again the presence of a bathhouse is likely to be caused by earlier Roman influence rather than belief in hygenie. With it believed to be tens of bathing houses around Paris at the time this an activity probably practiced at all levels of society. It is unknown whether bathing was mixed or segregated, or whether the baths were open to different sexes at different times. The style of bathing was probably more like a sauna where the body is ‘immersed’ in steam in the air, rather in water, bearing in mind that the water may have had to carried by hand.

As bathing developed in became more common to do this individually rather than communally. Originally this would be in a timber tub filled with water and while a bath would only be found in the grandest of houses in the Middle Ages, bearing in mind these would to be filled by hand, by 1900 baths were becoming common in the newly built middle class homes. Running water through lead pipework meant filling the bath was much less of a chore than it had been previously.

While many people think of the shower as a modern invention it has its origins a very local way back in history in the form of a waterfall- cascading water. It is thought that both the Egyptians and the Greeks both had showers. With their sophisticated pipe work systems the Greek are thought to have had a shower bath with sophisticated drainage to take the water away, while the Egyptians relied on servants pouring water over them to create a shower. Showers are much more popular than baths in America. This is possibly explained by the fact that bathing goes back culturally in European culture; however showers have become increasingly popular in Europe over last three decades.

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