Welwyn Roman Baths

About the museum

The Welwyn Roman Baths are the surviving bath house of a Roman villa on the site known as Dicket Mead. The villa dates from the early third century and went out of use in the middle of the fourth century. The bath house was found in 1960, during the building of the motorway, and it is a scheduled ancient monument.

To save the remains, the bath house was preserved in place and a steel vault was built around it, so that it now lies under the embankment of the A1(M). Inside, visitors can see the three main rooms of a Roman bath suite: an unheated cold room, a warm room and a hot room, with a hypocaust system that heated the floors and walls. Bathers used oil and a curved scraper to clean their skin, and then rinsed in hot and cold plunge pools.

For wealthy Romans, bathing was a long social ritual that could fill an afternoon and combine relaxation with conversation and business. The site is run by Welwyn Hatfield Museums, which also looks after Mill Green Museum, and it offers hands-on learning for families as well as close-up views of real archaeology. A 3D model of the baths was made by the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

Highlights

• Roman bath house with cold, warm and hot rooms
• Hypocaust heating system visible under the floor
• Bath house preserved inside a steel vault under the A1(M) embankment
• Part of the Dicket Mead Roman villa complex, a scheduled monument
• Hands-on family activities and events

Permanent exhibition

• Roman bath house – The preserved bath house of a Roman villa, shown inside a steel vault with its cold, warm and hot rooms and hypocaust heating.

Operated by

Welwyn Hatfield Museums (Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council)

Admission & discounts

General admission is booked online for a timed session. The site is cashless and accepts card payments only. Museums Association members receive a concession.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

There are two toilets on site, one of them accessible; both are composting toilets with no running water, and hand sanitiser is provided. Parking includes accessible bays. The museum service publishes no further information on step-free access inside the vault, so visitors with access needs should contact the museum service before visiting. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The site offers family-friendly hands-on learning and close-up views of real archaeology, and children aged 2 to 16 pay a reduced price.

Getting there & parking

The site is just off the A1 heading north towards Stevenage and can be reached by bicycle. Mill Green Museum is about 15 minutes away by car, but the two sites are open on different days.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available

There is no café at the baths; the Miller's Tea Room is at Mill Green Museum.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit