Down a side street, through a tunnel, press a button to turn on a light and you can also find the well hidden Roman Baths in central London. This free unattended attraction is managed by the Westminster Council on behalf of The National Trust and can be difficult to find, so I have put together these clear instructions. You can click on all images to see a larger image.
More about the bathrooms
The first thing to keep in mind is that these baths are actually very unlikely to be Roman. They most likely date back to the 16th or early 17th century, but were actually believed to be much older when discovered in the late 18th century.
The ‘Roman Baths’ were probably part of an Arundel House outbuilding and probably a storage tank or washing place. Thomas, 2nd Earl of Arundel and Surrey was a well-known antique collector and Arundel House is celebrated as the first place in the country where a collection of ancient sculpture and stonework was placed on semi-public display, which now partly survives in The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, like the Arundel Marbles.
The first written reference to the baths is from a book published in 1784 that refers to a “fine old bath” in the basement of the house. The second reference in a book published in 1842 refers to an “ancient Roman spring bath” at 5 Strand Lane and suggests that it was fed by the local spring in Holywell Street.
The “Roman Baths” were promoted to the Victorians for their health benefits and remained open until the late 19th century.
Strand Lane formed the boundary between the parishes of St Clement Danes and St Mary le Strand and in 1922 the Rector of St. Clement Danes purchased the baths to preserve them from demolition. The baths were on display until the outbreak of war in 1939 and donated to the National Trust in 1947.
Surrey Street, WC2
The closest tube station is Temple, but you can also walk from Charing Cross (Trafalgar Square) or Holborn station.
Nearby attractions:
- Courtauld Gallery
- Somerset House Free Guided Tours
- The old curio shop
- Dr. Johnson’s House
- Prince Henry Room and Samuel Pepys Exhibition
- Hunterian Museum
- Mister. John Soane Museum
Also, try Charles Dickens’s A Walk in London.
London Routemaster bus
At the top of Surrey Street on The Strand, there is a bus stop for Heritage bus routes (number 15) aboard an iconic Routemaster bus.
Aldwych Station (Closed)
On Surrey Street, on your right, you will pass the closed Piccadilly Line Aldwych station. (You can see another closed entrance on The Strand). The station opened in 1907 but it was never as popular as predicted. During World War II, it was closed and used as underground storage for the British Museum to protect precious treasures.
The station closed its doors in 1994 and is now used for testing trains as well as being a popular filming location. If you want to see the inside, check the Open House London listings when it opens to the public.
Norfolk Hotel
You will pass this rather grand looking building on your right, with ‘Norfolk Hotel’ above the door. This building is used by King’s College London and there is no public access.
First sign
Just past the ‘Norfolk Hotel’, set back from the road, you will see the entrance to this tunnel and the first sign for the Roman Baths. The little black sign on the wall says:
«National Trust
Roman baths
Down steps turn right ».
It looks like a private area, but this tunnel has full public access, so keep going. The tunnel is called Surrey Steps.
You have found the Roman Baths!
There is a button on the wall that, when pressed, illuminates the interior of the basement of No. 5 Strand Lane and the Roman Baths.
As mentioned at the beginning, there is no guarantee that this little bathroom is actually Roman, as there is little to no evidence of Roman inhabitants on this London street.
David Copperfield, a fictional character dreamed of by Charles Dickens, was said to regularly use this soaking bath.
Whatever is true, we can’t be sure, but it is an interesting find and worth a visit if you are in the area.
If you enjoy London’s waterways, you can enjoy a visit to the London Canal Museum.