Heritage Services Local Brief August 2006

Archway Project FAQs

1 What is the The Archway Project will achieve two objectives. Archway Project? 1. It will increase knowledge and enjoyment of the Bath World Heritage Site by providing a World Heritage Centre for Bath. 2. It will radically improve learning and community engagement at the Roman Baths where a new Learning Centre will provide special activities for schools and our local communities.

2 Where will it be? The new facilities will be provided in a group of currently dilapidated former industrial buildings in Swallow Street and York Street and in the undercroft beneath York Street.

3 How much will it £5 million. cost?

4 Who is paying for The Heritage Lottery Fund is the biggest contributor with £3.376 it? million. The Clore Duffield Foundation has contributed £250,000 and the Garfield Weston Foundation has contributed £75,000; the project has received other grants from trusts and foundations, local businesses and individual donors. Bath & North East Somerset Council is borrowing £1 million of capital funds.

5 What is the Roman The Roman Baths Foundation is leading the fundraising drive for the Baths Foundation? Archway Project. The Foundation is an independent charitable company whose long- term objects are to support learning and conservation at the Roman Baths.

6 Do you need to Yes. We have enough funds to start the project but fundraising is still raise any more continuing. money?

7 Who owns it? Bath & North East Somerset Council already owns the buildings and also owns and operates the Roman Baths to which the Archway buildings are connected.

8 Who will run it? The Council, through its Heritage Services team. Learning programmes will be delivered by professionally qualified staff. The World Heritage Centre will have a dedicated Visitor Services team who will be assisted by volunteers from the Mayor’s Honorary Guides.

9 What will be in the Lots of information and interactive displays to tell visitors and local World Heritage residents why Bath is a World Heritage Site. A large ‘destination map’ Centre? will help people explore Bath for themselves and formal guided tours will go to key parts of the Site.

10 What will be in the There will be two fully accessible learning spaces, a lunch room, and Learning Centre? cloakroom and toilet facilities. It will also contain, in the undercroft beneath York Street, a pioneering new learning space amidst in-situ Roman remains where school children and community groups will take part in archaeological learning activities. 11 Who will use the Mainly schools visiting the Roman Baths but, in the evenings and at Learning Centre? weekends, it will be used by local community groups for a range of activities and also for day-schools and evening classes.

12 Why do you need The existing education room at the Roman Baths is over-subscribed, too the Learning small and not up to the standards schools now expect at a major historic Centre? site. We have to overflow into unsuitable historic meeting rooms and there is no on-site provision for school children to eat lunch, no proper cloakrooms and no dedicated toilets. The new centre will be a base for improved learning work with existing and new audiences and also for a new programme of community engagement work intended to extend the appeal of the Roman Baths to an even wider audience than at present.

13 Will anything The experience of our 1 million plus visitors per year will be change for visitors significantly extended by opening up previously hidden and exciting to the Roman in situ Roman remains – sights that have never before been seen by Baths? the public.

14 What happens This is a complex project involving many specialist suppliers and next? contractors and careful pre-planning is essential before work begins on site. There is also some detailed design work still to do. We have to prepare tenders and appoint contractors and whoever is successful will then need to plan their own timetables and schedule their staff and supplies.

15 When will work Some preliminary works and investigations have already taken place start? but the main contractors will start work in 2018.

16 When will it open? In 2019

17 Will the project be Every year a range of events takes place which restrict access for affected by vehicles and on-site working, including the Christmas Market, cycle anything else going races, half marathons etc. There may also be road works. We will 2

on in central Bath? have to work around all of these events and that is an important aspect of project planning. The Abbey Footprint Project will be taking place at around the same time and close co-ordination is taking place to avoid losing time or running up extra costs.

18 How will I know You can sign up to our regular e-newsletter updates and there will be what is happening? up-to-date information on the Roman Baths website (http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/archway-project). There will also be signs at the location once work begins on site. We will issue press releases and information on social media.

19 How can I support You can support the project by donating online, sponsoring a virtual tile the project? from £5, adopting a Roman stone from £100, sponsoring an element of the project in our wishlist brochure or donating by cheque. To find out more, visit https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/roman-baths-foundation.

If you want to get involved as a volunteer and be part of this exciting project going forward, please contact [email protected].

Aug 2017 v5