The Archway Project, a major new learning centre and a World Heritage exhibition for the Roman Baths, is to go ahead after receiving a £3.4m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The project will increase the space dedicated to education at the Roman Baths by 400%.
It will open up areas of Roman remains that never before been available for regular public access, including a rare laconicum (sauna) and an exercise courtyard, revealing fascinating new aspects of the ancient site.
The £5m development will be housed in former Victorian spa buildings in Swallow Street and York Street, next to the Roman Baths.
Building work is set to start next year with the learning centre and World Heritage centre due to open in 2019.
The Roman Baths Learning Centre will be a fully accessible, state-of-the-art centre where school children will participate in exciting hands-on sessions with Roman artefacts and where projects and activities will be run for members of the local community.
Schoolchildren will be able to explore and record archaeological materials in an Investigation Zone, pictured above in an artist's impression, set among Roman remains, while they will be able to unearth replica Roman objects in an excavation area.
The centre will also be used for family events at weekends and during the school holidays. It will be linked to the Roman Baths by a tunnel under York Street.
The World Heritage Centre will contain imaginative displays that explain why the World Heritage site of Bath is so special. Admission will be free for everyone.
Bath & North East Somerset Council cabinet member for economic development Cllr Patrick Anketell-Jones said: “We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has decided to support the Archway Project.
“Schoolchildren will now be able to learn about their heritage in a new learning centre, where they can take part in hands-on archaeological activities using in-situ Roman remains.
“And, for the first time, we will have a World Heritage centre where people can find out why Bath is a World Heritage site. We hope it will inspire people to explore the special historic sites of the city.”
Heritage Lottery Fund South West head Nerys Watts added: “From displaying hidden Roman rooms to inspiring the next generation to get hands-on with Bath’s past, this is an incredibly exciting project and we’re proud to offer our support, thanks of course to National Lottery players.
“This investment will transform the way the city’s story is told, provide unprecedented access to its heritage and play a key role in the development of this World Heritage site.”
The project received planning permission last month and earlier this month was awarded £75,000 from the charitable grant-making Garfield Weston Foundation, a family-founded, grant-making trust that has been supporting charities across the UK for more than 50 years.
