Bearsden Roman Bath House — The Ancient Codex

Bearsden Roman Bath House, East Dunbartonshire — Photo: Lindsay Robertson / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Romans built a stone-and-turf fortification, the Antonine Wall, between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth between AD 142 and 144 under Emperor Antoninus Pius, with a parallel road, the…

Bearsden Roman Bath House is a fortified place near Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.

History

Bearsden Roman Bath House — historical view — Photo: Rosser1954 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Romans built a stone-and-turf fortification, the Antonine Wall, between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth between AD 142 and 144 under Emperor Antoninus Pius, with a parallel road, the Military Way, to its south. A roughly 2.5-acre Roman fort stood on the site of present-day Bearsden, at the intersection of the Military Way and the north–south road between Glasgow and Loch Lomond.

Close to the fort, a Roman bath-house was built in approximately AD 142–143. After only about 20 years, in AD 164, the Romans withdrew south to Hadrian's Wall.

People

Emperor Antoninus Pius

Roman emperor under whom the Antonine Wall — and the Bearsden fort and bath-house complex — was built

Cultural influences

Part of the Antonine Wall frontier system across central Scotland, with its forts, the Military Way and associated installations such as bath-houses.

Connections

Antonine Wall

The Roman frontier whose fort the bath-house served
New Kilpatrick Cemetery (Boclair Road)

Holds two further visible stretches of the Antonine Wall's stone base

Discovery & excavation

The bath-house's remains were discovered in 1973 by builders digging foundations for a housing development. The site was donated to the nation and the remains, which survive well, lie about 150 metres from Bearsden town centre.

In culture

A video reconstruction of the site has been produced.

What to look for

The well-preserved remains of the Roman military bath-house, about 150 metres from the town centre.
Two stretches of the Antonine Wall's stone base in New Kilpatrick Cemetery on Boclair Road.

Plan your visit

Location: 55.9199°N · 4.3280°W
Nearest settlement: Bearsden
Access: Open access
Start point: Bearsden Bath House · On Roman Road, Bearsden, Glasgow. Signed from Bearsden Cross on A810. Approximately 600 metres down Roman Road.
Best time: Open year-round.
Start point: Roman Road Car Park — On Roman Road, the street Historic Environment Scotland directs visitors along. The free Glebe car park is also nearby.