Discover the revolting world of Roman medicine at the Roman Baths this Oct half term – free entry for Saltford residents!

If you live within Bath and North East Somerset, including Saltford, you can get a B&NES Council Residents’ Discovery Card, which entitles you to exclusive offers and discounts in the area. 

You can apply for your Residents’ Discovery Card online by following the application process on B&NES Council’s website at https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/apply-for-discovery-card

As part of the application process, you will need to:

• ● Book an appointment to collect and activate your card before you use it for the first time
• ● Make sure you’ve got appropriate documents or identification to bring to your appointment
• ● Be prepared to have your photo taken at your appointment

So if you’re planning on heading to the Roman Baths to find out about Roman medicine this October half term now’s the time to get your Discovery Card!

Once you have your card, you can book free heritage visits – including to the Roman Baths – on this B&NES Council page: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/book-free-heritage-visits

During half term, the Roman Baths are running special events including a family trail – included with your admission – please see below.

There’s also an event that requires ticket payment and pre-booking is recommended – please note this event does not come free with your B&NES Council Resident’s Discovery Card.

Bath & North East Somerset Council is inviting families to discover the weird, wonderful and occasionally stomach-churning world of ancient medicine at The Roman Baths this October half term.

B&NES Council press release as follows:

Would you swallow a spoonful of snail slime? Trust a cure made from squished fish? Or brave a treatment prescribed nearly 2,000 years ago?

This October half term, families visiting The Roman Baths can step into the sandals of a Roman doctor and uncover the weird, wonderful and occasionally stomach-churning side of ancient medicine in Eew! Revolting Roman Remedies, a brand-new family adventure running from 16 October to 1 November.

Armed with a fun family trail, doctors-in-training will journey through the museum to help a series of patients suffering from mysterious complaints. Their challenge is to identify the right remedy for each ailment, tracking down clues hidden throughout the site while discovering the fascinating beliefs behind Roman healthcare. Along the way, they’ll encounter a world where healers prescribed everything from herbs and plants to ingredients that modern visitors may find both surprising and more than a little disgusting.

Set against the backdrop of one of Britain’s most remarkable historic sites, the trail provides a new way for families to experience The Roman Baths together. Around every corner are stories waiting to be uncovered, from the steaming waters of the Great Bath to the lives of the people who lived, worked and worshipped here nearly 2,000 years ago. It’s a place where children can let their imaginations run wild and adults can rediscover a sense of wonder as they step back into Roman Britain.

The adventure continues throughout half term with opportunities to meet and train with a Roman doctor, known as a medicus. Full of stories and curious medical knowledge, The Roman Baths’ resident medicus will reveal the remedies Romans relied on to stay healthy, from herbs and honey to some decidedly more revolting ingredients.

Families inspired by their discoveries can also experiment with herbs and ingredients of their own (don’t worry, no snail slime required!) in daily Roman remedy-making sessions. These hands-on activities explore the plants and natural materials Romans believed could help cure everything from headaches to stomach aches, while encouraging children to create their own remedies inspired by the ancient world.

For the first time, The Roman Baths is partnering with Children’s Scrapstore Bristol to bring families a one-day Halloween celebration packed with creative fun. On 31 October, young makers can head to the Clore Learning Centre to transform reclaimed materials into spooky masterpieces, taking home their own unique creations and proving that imagination can be just as powerful as any Roman cure.

FREE Event Listings

Eew! Revolting Roman Remedies Trail

16 October – 1 November / included in admission

Pick up a free family trail and discover the strange, surprising and stomach-turning cures used by Roman doctors.

Meet a Roman Doctor

24 October – 1 November / Included with admission

Meet a Roman medicus and discover the strange, surprising and sometimes revolting remedies used to treat illness across the Roman Empire. Learn how Romans kept healthy nearly 2,000 years ago.

Roman Remedy Making

24-30 October & 1 November / 10am – 3pm / Included with admission

Create your own Roman-inspired remedy and discover how herbs and plants were used in ancient medicine.

Event Listings requiring payment: Prebooking recommended

Halloween Scraptastic Event with Children’s Scrapstore Bristol

31 October
10am-3pm
£5 per child

Accompanying adult no charge, children must be accompanied
At The Roman Baths Clore Learning Centre (entrance in Swallow Street)

Prebooking recommended. Tickets available on the day subject to availability.

Join Children’s Scrapstore Bristol for a special Halloween craft event at The Roman Baths. Transform reclaimed materials into spooky masterpieces and take home your own unique creation.

For more information and tickets, visit www.romanbaths.co.uk