U.S. Water News Online
LONDON -- Archeologists restoring a 17th century castle said they may have uncovered one of the first British bathrooms built after the grimy Middle Ages.
During repairs to a four-meter-long castle wall at Bolsover, northern England, archeologists found a room designed for bathing and another used to heat bath water.
They say they believe it may be one of the first bathrooms built after the Middle Ages, when the intricate washing habits introduced by the Romans fell into disuse.
The rooms were found this week in an abandoned outbuilding at the castle, where Sir William Cavendish, who lived from 1593 to 1676, started a fashion for "bathing rooms" after his return to England at the end of the Civil War.
Cavendish, later the Duke of Newcastle, was exiled to continental Europe following Oliver Cromwell's victory in the Civil War in 1649, but is thought to have brought back his Parisian washing habits to Britain after the restoration of King Charles II to the throne in 1660.
Inside the three-by-four-meter bathing room, a recessed slot runs around all four walls. This is thought to have held footings to house a sunken bath.
The chamber also has space for lead piping, which corresponds with features in a well house at the opposite end of the castle wall. Archeologists say they believe a network of pipes would have linked the two rooms.
"Another piece of evidence is the smaller second chamber which has blackened stone on one wall," said John Burditt of English Heritage, the preservation group restoring the castle.
"The historical record describes how Sir William's bath could be filled with hot water. This room may well turn out to have been the boiler house."
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