Roman Baths

King Bladud 1982

The figure is in two parts,and the head, older than the body, was easily detached. From this Janice Tindall removed a layer of recent blue oil paint  presumably depicting  woad. Under  this was a series of repainted layers flesh coloured. I found red paint in the recesses of the robes. I extended these areas with a casein based paint so that it was clearly obvious from across the Kings Bath  . The niche was conserved using the lime method and I made the new apex stone where the crutches of the healed.used to be hung. This I capped with the cast lead cover dated 1982. Janice Tindall repainted the lettered panel beneath the niche that reads

BLADUD SON OF LUDHUDIBRAS/EIGHTH KING OF THE BRITANS/FROM BRUTE, A GREAT PHILOSOPHER/ AND MATHEMATICIAN BRED AT/ATHENS AND RECORDED THE FIRST/DISCOVERER AND FOUNDER OF/THESE BATHS EIGHT HUNDRED/SIXTY THREE YEARS BEFORE/CHRIST. THAT IS TWO THOUSAND/FIVE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO YEARS/TO THE PRESENT YEAR 1699/

Left: drawing  by Thomas Johnson shows the King’s Bath in 1675. Bladud’s niche supporting abandoned  crutches  seen on the left. Picture top shows the Jacobean balustrade built into the new Victorian wall

Left:Excavation of the Queens Bath 1879 note the rear of Bladud’s niche.