The Cistern To Old Somerset House is set into the floor of a vaulted brick chamber, probably of late-C17 date, under a late-C19 extension to 33 Surrey Street. (No 5 Strand Lane is single storey, with the extension to No 33 Surrey Street above it; this extension is not included in the listing). It is entered via an arched entrance on Strand Lane and the vault is lit by a large arched window. - Historic England
| Y/M/D | Person | Association | Description | Composition | Food | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y/M/D | Person | Association | Description | Composition | Food | Event |
| 1612/00/00 | Salomon de Caus | Engineer | "The Roman Bath" is built as a cistern to supply water to a grotto fountain in the Privy Garden of Old Somerset House (lost) for Anne of Denmark, the queen of James I. | |||
| 1612/00/00 | Anne of Denmark | Owner | Salomon de Caus designs a grotto fountain (lost) depicting Mount Parnassus in the Privy Garden of Old Somerset House (lost) for Anne of Denmark. The cistern, known as "The Roman Bath", that fed the fountain remains. | |||
| 1776/11/02 | Cold Bath at No 33 Surry-street now open - Advertisement in the Daily Advertiser (Essex baths are another plunge located to the south, at the rear of 32 Surrey Street.) | |||||
| 1865/00/00 | The Lancet | Media | The Old Roman bath is Reopened with great Improvements - The Lancet medical journal | |||
| 1922/00/00 | Rev William Pennington-Bickford | Owner | Reverend William Pennington-Bickford buys the cistern to Old Somerset House removes the marble and tiles decorating the main chamber and performs small scale archaeological excavations. |
| Particulars for Early C17 Cistern To Old Somerset House (Aka The Roman Bath): | |
|---|---|
| Waterworks | Cistern |
| Sight Category | Structure |
| Historic Use | Water supply system |
| Historic Use | Water Works |
| Data | |
|---|---|
| NHLE List Entry Number: | 1237102 |
| Work | Type | AsNotedIn | Creator | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Copperfield (book) | Makrystoria | Charles Dickens | I began the next day with another dive into the Roman bath, and then started for Highgate. |
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