From 1st December to 12th December 2017, the Roman Baths Foundation will run a Christmas appeal called ‘12 days of Archway’ to support the Archway Project.
Instead of sending a Christmas card, people can sponsor a virtual tile from £5 and leave their mark on the Archway Project.
Tiles can be customised with a personal Christmas greeting. Sponsoring a tile will help to open up an area of the Roman Baths not seen by the wider public before.
Alternatively, adopting a Roman Stone could be a unique gift for a friend or relative. There are three adoption levels, ranging from £100 to £1,000. Stone adopters may receive regular updates about the stones, invitations to exclusive events and acknowledgement on a donor wall, depending on the level chosen.
Adopting a stone will help the National Lottery supported Archway Project to create a fascinating digital learning resource for children and young people to use in the new Learning Centre.
There will also be special prizes for people signing up to the Archway Project’s newsletter during the appeal period.
Prizes will include an afternoon tea for two in The Pump Room; an ‘Above and Below’ tour for two people; and a pair of saver tickets to visit the Roman Baths, Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery.
On Friday 8th December, the Archway Project will have a stall at Bath Christmas Market for one day. This will be a chance for people to find out more about the project, to donate or enter the prize draw.
There will be festive chocolate coins available to buy, with all proceeds going towards the Archway Project.
The Roman Baths Foundation is a charity set up to raise funds for conservation and education work at the Roman Baths. Raising funds for the Archway Project is its first flagship project.
David Beeton, Chairman of the Roman Baths Foundation, said: “12 days of Archway offers people some exciting gift ideas, and the money raised will help inspire the next generation of archaeologists for years to come.”
The Archway Project will increase the space dedicated to education at the Roman Baths by 400%. Situated above the former Spa laundry in Swallow Street, two new learning spaces will enable the Roman Baths to develop formal and informal learning programmes, engaging a wide range of communities and audiences.
The Learning Centre will be connected to the Roman Baths by an undercroft that passes through Roman remains beneath York Street. An underground Investigation Zone will provide hands-on access to Roman remains through facilitated learning sessions.
On the ground floor of the Swallow Street building, a 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.
The Archway Project will also open up new areas of the Roman Baths to visitors, including a laconicum (sauna) and exercise courtyard.
Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the project has been awarded £3.4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
