World Heritage Day every day

Celebrating the history of a place is for life - not just for World Heritage Day

For more than 40 years, the importance of promoting and protecting world heritage sites has been at the heart of UNESCO World Heritage Day celebrations.

So where better to delve into the depths of a city’s history than right here on our doorstep of Bath - the only city in the UK to be a designated World Heritage Site in its entirety, and one of an elite few to have received not one, but two, prestigious UNESCO listings.

Bath is booming but balance is key

According to recent figures, the Roman Baths and Pump Room was the 28th most-visited attraction in the UK in 2022. In fact, it welcomed more than 850,0000 thousand visitors last year alone making it the second most-visited attraction in the South West, after Stonehenge.

Exploring this finding, Dr Sarah Morton, Senior Lecturer in Heritage at Bath Spa University’s School of Humanities said: “What we see from the Roman Baths is that the heritage we have in the city is a draw for both national and international tourists, which is a great asset, but one that needs to be carefully curated. This is not to say things should not be changed, in fact it is important that heritage sites continue to develop, innovate and work closely with their local communities, for the benefit of the past, the present and the future.

“The challenge is to balance preserving our heritage alongside creating a vibrant place in which people live and work."

“These recent visitor figures represent the recovery of the heritage sector after two very difficult years due to the pandemic, and demonstrate the importance of the sector to the economy of Bath and the South West. Knowing that many visitors come to Bath because of its rich heritage means it is all the more important that this is managed and protected.

“The challenge is to balance preserving our heritage alongside creating a vibrant place in which people live and work. For example, for our MA Heritage Management students, the opportunity to work with organisations like the Roman Baths allows them to gain practical skills and an understanding of the sector that they can then take forward into their careers as heritage professionals.”

Graduate case study: James Petrucco

A great example of this is the work that Bath Spa University MA Heritage Management  graduate James Petrucco is conducting at the Roman Baths and the local Victoria Art Gallery.

James said: “After completing my MA in Heritage Management at Bath Spa University, and with a background in teaching, I secured a job as a Workshop Leader for B&NES Heritage Services, which includes working at the Roman Baths and the Victoria Art Gallery.

“My role is varied, but I am responsible for developing and delivering both formal and informal learning and participation opportunities at both sites. During term time, I look after primary and secondary school groups who visit us at the new Clore Learning Centre, based at the Roman Baths, and during holidays and half-term I facilitate family drop-in activities at both the baths and at the gallery.

“My role also gives me the opportunity to engage with participants at local community events and as such, I was delighted to be able to attend our early World Heritage Day activities held at the Guildhall on Saturday 4th March. This date was chosen to coincide with the General Assembly of the Great Spa Towns of Europe World Heritage Site, and gave visitors the chance to explore more than 2000 years of Bath’s incredible spa history. 

“During the event I embraced Bath’s spa water theme by helping people to make their very own hand scrub and bath fizzies, using ingredients the Romans would have used, but with a modern twist! In total, more than 700 people of all ages visited over the course of the day, which proved to be an exciting and fun-filled event.”

Graduate case study: Laura Nicholls

Bath Spa University is a place where a true sense of community is fostered and our graduates take that with them out into the world. For example, Laura Nicholls, who is also an MA Heritage Management graduate, has been working with Care Centres through her role as Roman Baths Community Engagement Officer. 

As part of her job, Laura runs Roman-themed activities and workshops for care home and day-centre residents, ensuring that those who are unable to visit the Roman Baths can also enjoy and benefit from engaging with local heritage activities.

Laura said: “I worked in a variety of roles after completing my MA in Heritage Management, before joining Heritage Services as a Community Engagement officer at The Roman Baths and Bath World Heritage Centre. 

"My varied role involves connecting communities with our heritage, both in and outside of the museum, in-person and online."

“My varied role involves connecting communities with our heritage, both in and outside of the museum, in-person and online. I also manage the amazing team of volunteers at the Bath World Heritage Centre. I enjoy finding new and exciting ways to engage people with their local heritage, whether it is discussing the food that The Romans liked to eat with residents at Care Homes, or taking a few hours to engage in mindful ancient craft techniques with young people. 

“I also took part in the recent World Heritage Day event held at the Guildhall, promoting the Bath World Heritage Centre and challenging people to guess how a strigil was used!”

Restoration with digital imagination

An important part of heritage management is to continually engage with audiences while also thinking about how to build stronger relationships, and encourage new visitors to see the possibilities on offer. Dr Sarah Morton continued: “A great example of this is from work carried out by the Roman Baths. They utilised the power of digital interpretation to project images that helped visitors understand how spaces, such as gyms, would have been used by Romans. 

"There is a lot of scope for collaborative projects with our students to develop more of this type of innovative interpretation, and continue the storytelling journey."

“With important work going on at heritage organisations across the city to engage with a wider range of narratives, including Bath’s own colonial history and bringing to life LGBTQ+ stories in the community, there is a lot of scope for collaborative projects with our students to develop more of this type of innovative interpretation, and continue the storytelling journey."

Community collaboration

Speaking on the importance of community collaboration and its continued growth, Dr Sarah Morton concluded: “The opening of the Clore Learning Centre in 2022 was an important development for the Roman Baths as they not only have more space for school groups, but they have also been able to develop their work with community groups. When we look at visitor figures we often think of international tourism or people coming to Bath for the day, but heritage sites like the Roman Baths are also important sites for local communities and their wellbeing, and long may that continue.”

To find out more about studying MA Heritage Management at Bath Spa University, visit our course page.

Image credit: Anna Barclay for Bath and North East Somerset Council