The baths feature three key rooms: the unheated frigidarium (cold room), the warm tepidarium, and the hot caldarium. A sophisticated hypocaust system provided underfloor and wall heating. Romans would progress through the rooms, using oil and a curved tool called a strigil for cleansing in the hot room. They’d rinse in plunge pools, hot then cold.
The baths weren’t just about hygiene. For wealthy Romans, bathing was a time-consuming social ritual. It could easily occupy an entire afternoon, combining relaxation with conversations and even business dealings.
View an amazing 3D model of the baths below created by the UCL Institute of Archaeology below.