Bath Quays Waterside

Excavations at Bath Quays Waterside represent the first detailed archaeological investigation of industrial buildings and housing within a ‘slum’ district on the southern edge of the city. The area was first developed in the early 18th century, and this new residential area was at first reserved for the relatively well-to-do. However, this changed as the quay was developed and the area became more industrial; by the late 18th century the Avon Street district was a notorious slum, accommodating houses of ill repute alongside slaughterhouses, fellmongers and assorted warehouses. During the later 19th century a conscious effort by civic authorities and charities to improve the sanitation and living conditions within the district led to the provision of a public wash house and improved drainage. The area was finally demolished in the 1930s. This report sets the results of the excavations against the historical background, and documentary research has enabled the linking of many of the buildings excavated to named inhabitants and photographic records.