Scheduled. (1)

The bath house is visible mainly as a series of earthworks of robber trenches, following the stone walls, and a long cutting made by leadminers in the 19th century. The baths seem to have comprised a long range of connecting rooms. In 1779, when stone was taken from the site, it is reported that flues for a hypocaust were discovered full of soot, and that an iron grating still survived in front of it. Hodgson saw "opus signinum" floors in 1810, that were unfortunately swept away by floods in 1817. The cuttings made by lead propectors in the 19th century exposed well-built walls disappearing into the face of a steep bank of accumulated debris, according to Bosanquet. An evaluation trench cut in 1932 revealed the bath house ran some 4.5m beyond its previously recorded extent, and one wall was found standing ten courses high.
This was the main bath house serving the fort. It is believed to be of Hadrainic date, and built at the time of the initial fort. Water was supplied from the Knag Burn of spring to the north. Records show that a large amount of stonework was removed from the bath house in about 1779, as well as an altar. A flash flood damaged the site in 1817 and lead prospectors cut a trench through it in the late 1890s or early 1900s. Excavations by Birley in 1932 are the only archaeological works to have taken place at the bath house. The bath house is of major significance as it represents an integral part of the military complex associated with the Roman frontier at Housesteads. It is also one of the better preserved examples in Britain. (2)

The bath-house is thought to have been supplied by a length of channelled stones, as compared with an aqueduct or leat. This is unknown in date. (3)

Hodgson described the remains of the bath house in 1822, which was then being robbed for stone. (4a)

Bosanquet noted that, in a trench cut by lead prospectors, well-built Roman walls could be seen disappearing into a steep bank of accumulated debris. (4b)

A small excavation in 1932 showed that the bath house extended some 15 feet further to the N than the surface remains indicated, and that one wall was still ten courses high. (4c)

NY 7924 6888. The bath house for the garrison at Housesteads stood on a shelf above the E bank of the Knag Burn, 90m ENE of the E gate of the fort. The site has never been extensively excavated archaeologically, and the present turf-covered earthworks offer little coherence. (4d)

The earthwork remains of the bath house are clearly visible on air photographs and were mapped as part of the Hadrian's Wall National Mapping Project. They appear to consist of a series of rooms visible as hollows. A pathway leads down to the site from the east, its date is uncertain and it is recorded separately (see NY 76 NE 409). It is possible that certain of the recorded hollows, in particular that situated at NY 7921 6888, could relate to lead prospection as mentioned by authority 2. (4f-g)

Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (4h)

General association with HER 6564 (Housesteads Roman Fort), HER 33153 (trackway). (4)