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UCL students help to conserve a piece of London's history
13 July 2012
Since January 2012, students from the UCL Institute of Archaeology have helped, along with Nimbus Conservation, to manage and conserve the Billingsgate Roman Bathhouse in London.
Following their work, the bathhouse is set to open for public viewing for the first time on 14 July.
The bathhouse is believed to date from the 2nd or 3rd century AD, and was first discovered in 1848 by workmen building the Coal Exchange on Lower Thames Street. It has since been preserved in the basements of buildings on the site, and was one of the first Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the City of London.
Building upon the conservation work carried out by Nimbus Conservation and UCL students in 2011, the aim of the project was to contribute to ensuring that the bathhouse is enhanced, shared, and preserved for future generations.
All of the UCL students, staff and volunteers involved have worked tirelessly with the generous support of the Museum of London, English Heritage and the City of London Corporation to ensure that this fantastic site can be accessed and appreciated by its visitors this summer.
Sophie Mils (UCL Archaeology)
Under the direction of Tim Williams (UCL Institute of Archaeology, Course Leader of the MA in Managing Archaeological Sites) and Kirsty Norman (UCL Institute of Archaeology, tutor of Applied Heritage Management), students explored the site and constructed the first Statement of Significance and Management Plan for the site. The exercise was designed to give students an inside knowledge of the challenges of management planning, as well as discovering the future opportunities for Billingsgate Roman Bath House.
Sophie Mills (UCL Archaeology) explained: "All of the UCL students, staff and volunteers involved have worked tirelessly with the generous support of the Museum of London, English Heritage and the City of London Corporation to ensure that this fantastic site can be accessed and appreciated by its visitors this summer."
The bathhouse is located at: 101 Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6DL and will be open to the public on the following weekends:
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 July 2012, 11am - 4pm
Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 September 2012, 11am - 4pm
The nearest tube stations are Monument and Tower Hill. No booking is required and admission is free.
Image: Work being carried out on the Billingsgate Bathhouse
Related links:
Image gallery of the project
Official site of Billingsgate Roman Bathouse
UCL Institute of Archaeology
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