The Roman Baths: A place of recovery

A Roman bathhouse near Glasgow, Scotland, was the site chosen to trial a project called Recovery through Heritage (RtH). This provided a convenient archaeological case study through which to explore ideas of historical well-being, demonstrating the benefits that archaeology can bring to recovery work. The project was run with partners— Phoenix Futures a charity that supports individuals with alcohol and drug problems; and Northlight Heritage — as part
of the Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership (CAVLP) supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES). It piloted a project that worked with service users to design a heritage trail, enhance archaeological sites and help out on archaeological digs, focusing on the Roman bathhouse at Strathclyde Park, Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. A range of activities resulted in the successful completion of the project, including positive outcomes for the service users, the wider community, and ourselves as practitioners. This paper outlines how the Recovery through Heritage project developed, describing the archaeological and recovery outcomes achieved, the problems and challenges that were encountered, and how these were overcome. The paper also explores how current archaeological theory influences the delivery of community-focused heritage projects, and how theory is deployed in daily professional practice.