Something in the water

Nancy Alsop visits Bath for some rest and relaxation, Roman style

Above: Thermae Bath Spa rooftop pool

Those Romans were nothing if not civilised. Excepting, obviously, the odd bloody war and a collective penchant for theatrical – though no less visceral – attacks involving lions and monotheists. It is no coincidence then that prior to the Roman settlement in Bath (or Aquae Sulis as they catchily called it) the valley was uninhabited other than by sheep, the naturally heated waters of its incumbent thermal springs – the only example of which in the UK – revered but largely unused.

Enter the world pioneers in the art of sophisticated, urbane and sociable relaxation; having honed the public bath to perfection back in Italy, they bequeathed elegant recreation to their new surrounds. And a couple of thousand years on, we’re still reaping the benefits.

Not, however, that the bestowal has always been put to practical use. Until 2006, Bath’s claim to its unambiguous name was a Roman architectural relic, a fascinating museum piece as opposed to a functioning sanctuary. In 1997, the Millennium Commission provided £7.7m worth of grant funding to restore the city’s natural resources to full use after a 30-odd year interim; some nine years and one star architect later (in the form of Sir Nicholas Grimshaw), the Thermae Bath Spa opened its doors to rave reviews. Despite obstacles along the way, it is a categorical triumph.

Set in the heart of the Georgian city centre, and next door to the famous Roman baths, it was a full house when we visited on a Tuesday afternoon in February – and it’s not hard to fathom its popularity. Arranged over five floors, which seamlessly blend the old and the new (the Hot and Cross baths constitute the extant historic spa building, while the New Royal Bath is contemporary), there are naturally heated pools, a floor dedicated to variously scented steam rooms and a café serving tasty (and healthy) morsels.

And if you really want to make a day of it, there’s an array of treatments on offer, from straightforward pedicures to a persuasively titled Chardonnay Bath which restores tired skin. However, the dazzling piece de resistance is undoubtedly the open-air roof top pool. Yes, it is cold for roughly five seconds before you hurl yourself into the water, but once you’re in, the views more than make up for the goose pimples. A natural current wafts you around the pool, which, in true Roman tradition, is very much for lounging as opposed to swimming; the cool breeze is a refreshing contrast to the blissfully warm water, which, staggeringly, has gathered heat over 10,000 years since it first fell as rain on the Mendip hills. The Thermae Baths are genuinely remarkable and have provided a (quite literally) fresh reason to visit Bath, proving that you don’t need to trek across the world to seriously indulge.

Drifting around the rooftop pool, it would be impossible not to be moved to revisit some of Bath’s long-cherished landmarks; the abbey and the Jane Austen museum, not forgetting, of course, the Roman incarnation of the baths – and no trip to Bath is complete without a champagne tea at the Pump Rooms, or at the very least, one of Sally Lunn’s famous buns.

But if you find yourself warming to the theme of sheer indulgence, then the only place on your Bath to-do list should be the unparalleled Royal Crescent hotel. Set on a John Wood-designed row of elegantly uniform Georgian-fronted houses which overlook a picturesque green and the city beyond, it is irrefutably the finest address in Bath. This Relais and Chateaux gem has, over the years, been the recipient of countless awards. It was the AA’s Hotel of the Year in 1999, Zagat places it within its top 100 and Harper’s and Queen rates it is as the best hotel for a weekend escape.

We holed up in the impossibly capacious Duke of York suite, from whose four floor-to-ceiling windows you can gaze upon the peerless view of the city; perhaps while pondering over the fact that one of its most recent denizens was Kylie Minogue (which was quite good enough for us until we discovered that Johnny Depp had stayed in the Garden Villa…). Its period details are exquisite, from the elaborate plasterwork that adorns the ceiling to the free-standing Victorian bath and the open fireplace (which you can have lit whenever you choose); it manages, somehow, to elegantly sit astride cavernous and cosy, a true feat of interior design.

But before you get too snug, neglecting to visit The Bath House would be nothing short of a grave error. The converted coach house is, frankly, one of the most serene spas I have ever visited; church-like strawberry gothic windows look out onto the hotel gardens and back up to the main building. Treatments are continually in progress up on the galleried area above the heated pool, so guests are encouraged to be quiet while floating around and negotiating their way between the sauna and steam room, which in turn makes for an atmosphere of consummate calm. I, unable to resist, signed up for a body scrub and massage. After 10 minutes of being cleansed and buffed with a good-enough-to-eat smelling concoction of almond butter, sea salt and 12 essential oils, I was transported to a new realm of relaxation, and my skin was softer than I can ever remember it.

The only thing to entice me to change from robes to proper clothes was the prospect of dinner at The Dower House, the hotel’s restaurant. We toasted our continued relaxation (a safe bet) with a Paradiso, the award-winning signature cocktail, and feasted on perfect and delicate-sized portions of smoked eel ravioli and sea bass, followed by an unusual and sublime Stilton puffball. And with that we were content, replete and ready to return to our open fire.

The next day, chugging out of Bath Spa and into Paddington, the dawning realisation hits that I shall no longer be spending a significant proportion of my days making like the Romans and immersed in restorative water. The prospect reveals itself as something really quite abhorrent, so a word of advice: ensure you pack a Sally Lunn bun for the journey. You’ll need some portable reminder of this most civilised of cities.

Rates vary but classic doubles are available from £320, classic suites from £570, deluxe suites from £750 and master suites from £870. This is based on double occupancy, including VAT and full English breakfast.
The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath, BA1 2LS
01225 823333, www.royalcrescent.co.uk

Thermae Bath Spa has a wide variety of spa packages available from £65.
Thermae Bath Spa, The Hetling Pump Room, Hot Bath Street, Bath, BA1 1SJ, 0845 888 0844/01225 33 1234
www.thermaebathspa.com