The Hot Spring Of Bath
Aquae Sulis is the only place in England with a natural HOT spring. There are many 'warm springs' in England, but none of the others are as hot as the one found in Aquae Sulis.
The water we see today fell as rain on the Mendip Hills many hundreds of years ago. It percolates (filters gradually through a porous surface or substance) down through limestone aquifers (bodies of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater) to a depth of between 2,700 and 4,300 metres where natural heat raises the temperature to roughly 64 and 96 degrees Celsius. Under pressure, the heated water rises through the limestone underneath Bath, gushing out at the surface. This is how the water attains its minerals like iron.
Fun Water Facts
The water we see today fell as rain on the Mendip Hills many hundreds of years ago. It percolates (filters gradually through a porous surface or substance) down through limestone aquifers (bodies of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater) to a depth of between 2,700 and 4,300 metres where natural heat raises the temperature to roughly 64 and 96 degrees Celsius. Under pressure, the heated water rises through the limestone underneath Bath, gushing out at the surface. This is how the water attains its minerals like iron.
Fun Water Facts
- Every day, 1,106,400 litres of natural mineral water gushes from the ground! (13 litres a second)
- Temperature - 46 degrees Celsius
- There are 43 different minerals in the water
- The water is low in dissolved metals except for iron, which causes the orange staining.
Why is the water at the baths now green?
The water is green because there are millions of tiny plants called algae growing in it. We probably would not wash in green water, but when the Romans swam here, the water was clean. This is because in Roman times, the Great Bath had a roof. Now that there is no roof covering the Bath, the sun can shine down on the water and help the plants like algae grow.
One type of algae here is the only one of its kind in Britain because the warmth and composition of the water provide the perfect habitat.
One type of algae here is the only one of its kind in Britain because the warmth and composition of the water provide the perfect habitat.