DESIGN ICONS
A symbol of luxury through the ages, freestanding baths, from royal wooden tubs to self-heating designs, have an enduring appeal and fascinating history
The development of private bathrooms is difficult to define, ‘but what is certain is that, up until relatively recently, bathtubs were only accessible to the very wealthy,’ says Alexandra Stevenson, assistant curator of archaeology and historic buildings at Historic Royal Palaces. ‘In England, the medieval kings and queens are known to have had private bathrooms, with building accounts giving clues as to the extent of their luxury. Edward I had a luxurious bathroom constructed in 1275 at his palace in Westminster, with payments recorded for keys (taps) of gilt bronze and four heads made in the shape of leopards for the bayne (bath). Edward III – later in 1351 – boasted a bathroom at Westminster with two large bronze keys for the king’s bathtub for carrying hot and cold water.’
Most private baths would have been filled using jugs or buckets of water heated over a nearby stove. ‘Only the royals or aristocracy would have had access to any kind of permanent plumbing, although the manner in which a king, queen or important courtier would have bathed could still be relatively rudimentary,’ Stevenson reveals. ‘Baths or “stews” consisted of mobile wooden tubs that would be lined with cloth, with sponges scented with herbs and flowers used to sit or lean on for the comfort of the user. A canopy of silken cloth was usually raised overhead to reduce draughts, and sometimes the bath itself was covered to retain the heat.’
Material choice
Wood remained a primary material for tubs throughout the 16th and 17th centuries in Britain, although stone or marble baths were occasionally installed. Henry VIII used wooden tubs at Hampton Court, but ‘these held nothing on his later stone sunken baths at Whitehall, which reached new levels of extravagance and indulgence,’ says Stevenson. Wood, perhaps because of its relative portability and material warmth, continued to be used even by royals and aristocrats into the ea
