A rushed visit in June 2014 as part of my work, just as clearance and conversion were starting on site, so apologies for delay in posting which I couldn't do at the time and for pic quality.
Original baths dated from 1852 but were replaced by this site in 1933. Info via wiki states 'it was built to provide better public wash facilities for the East End's poor. The swiming baths incorporated slipper and vapour baths. The slipper baths section contained 12 baths in the men's first-class division, 24 in the men's second-class and six in both women's divisions. Steam and shower baths were located behind the slipper baths. A comprehensive public laundry was located at the rear of the building, on Arthur Street. It contained 48 wooden washing tubs, drying equipment and ironing rooms. An uncovered water tank supplied the baths and was erected above the boiler house with a capacity of 24,000 gallons.'
No doubt modernised over the years, it remained in use until 1988. After a period of dereliction and partial stripping out it was fully restored and reopened as a sports and lesiure centre in 2016.
I was mainly interested in the basement and boiler house areas, as they still contained the original water filtration and steam boiler plant from when the baths were built in 1933, some of which we were looking to rescue. Sadly this has all been scrapped and rooms re-purposed since.
Original baths dated from 1852 but were replaced by this site in 1933. Info via wiki states 'it was built to provide better public wash facilities for the East End's poor. The swiming baths incorporated slipper and vapour baths. The slipper baths section contained 12 baths in the men's first-class division, 24 in the men's second-class and six in both women's divisions. Steam and shower baths were located behind the slipper baths. A comprehensive public laundry was located at the rear of the building, on Arthur Street. It contained 48 wooden washing tubs, drying equipment and ironing rooms. An uncovered water tank supplied the baths and was erected above the boiler house with a capacity of 24,000 gallons.'
No doubt modernised over the years, it remained in use until 1988. After a period of dereliction and partial stripping out it was fully restored and reopened as a sports and lesiure centre in 2016.
I was mainly interested in the basement and boiler house areas, as they still contained the original water filtration and steam boiler plant from when the baths were built in 1933, some of which we were looking to rescue. Sadly this has all been scrapped and rooms re-purposed since.
