Building a healthier city: the development of public health in Bath from the 18th to the 20th centuries

While Bath’s architecture and the social aspects of its development as a spa and tourist destination have been extensively studied, no research has been carried out into the development of the infrastructure that underpinned this development.

This project will preserve and open up two collections of records relating to the development of public health in the city: the records of the Improvement Commissions (1766-1851) and records relating to Bath City Council’s responsibility for the supply of water and sewerage (1748-1974). Both collections are uncatalogued and are rarely used for academic research, despite their potential. They are also badly packaged, and some are in a poor condition, threatening their long-term preservation. The records will be given any necessary remedial conservation and they will be catalogued to current archival standards and made available online.

The records will be brought to the attention of the research community to actively encourage their use, addressing the gap in research.