ENJOY A LATE BATH TIME THIS SUMMER

The stunning Roman Baths are one of Britain's best attractions. Now, for the next few weeks only, evening visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage site can also soak up live music... which, organisers say, is in keeping with the lively rendezvous of 2,000 years ago

- By Brian Dillon

SIPPING beers soundtracked by the swing of Latin rhythms seems an ideal way to pass a Friday night. But it's even better when your setting is an ancient pool bathed in the glow of fire torches under an open sky.

Which is exactly what you will find this summer at the Roman ruins in the city of Bath. Every weekend under darkening skies, live performers playing jazz, disco, funk, gospel and Latin, will invite visitors to experience the Roman Baths as a place of festivity and belonging.

If that sounds wildly out of character for the UNESCO World Heritage Site constructed in Somerset between 60AD and 70AD, it's not. The Romans valued music and dance, and the baths were the site of gatherings and celebrations in their original era, according to Amanda Hart, the attraction's director of archaeology.

"I'm pretty sure that people would have been there socialising," she says. "People wanted to be seen at the public baths, to hang out, to chat to friends, do business and possibly listen to some music."

The organisers hope to attract new audiences who otherwise may not be tempted by the bath's history and ornate beauty. It's also an opportunity to think "more widely about how they would have operated back in Roman times", says Amanda ahead of my own visit to the tourist attraction.

"You're seeing the baths at its best. It's beautiful in the evening, especially as the sun starts to go down and you have lamps lit by the Great Bath. It's a different way to appreciate the monument."

Rewind 2,000 years and the natural thermal springs sourced from the nearby Mendip Hills provided the primary attraction. The Romans established a sophisticated plumbing system to carry the geothermally heated water. It's still functional and visible throughout the grounds today.