The Cross Bath in Bath

Images of Britain: Cross Bath, Bath, South West England

The Cross Bath in Bath is a Grade I listed building that houses an ancient spring that is now part of Thermae Bath Spa.

The name "Cross" supposedly comes from a cross that once stood here to mark the spot where the body of of St. Aldhelm was being transported for burial to Malmesbury Abbey in the 8th century.

The medicinal and healing qualities of the bath were also behind the founding of nearby St John's Hospital in the 12th century.

From the 16th to 18th centuries, the baths were popular destinations for royalty, which significantly boosted their reputation. In June 1688, Mary of Modena, the wife of King James II, gave birth to a son, Prince James, nine months after bathing in the Cross Bath.

The structure surrounding the oval bath was originally built by City Architect Thomas Baldwin (1750-1820) in 1784 and later remodeled by John Palmer in 1789. Baldwin was also responsible for the Guildhall, Argyle Street, Laura Place and Great Pulteney Street before being disgraced for dishonesty. Palmer turned the building with its elegant portico entrance on its axis to fit in with the style of the newly created Bath Street and added neo-classical details such as urns and Corinthian columns. The building was renovated again in the 1990s.

Address: 9, 10 Hot Bath Street, Bath BA1 1SJ.