The Secret History of English Spas

An informative social and cultural history of the English craze for drinking and bathing in spa waters. English spas have a long and steamy history, from the thermal baths of Aquae Sulis in Bath to the stews of Southwark and the elegant pump rooms of Cheltenham and Buxton. The Secret History of English Spas offers an informative but light-hearted history of this obsession with “taking the waters.” This volume tells the stories of the rich and famous, the poor and the sick, all of whom visi...