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Numbers
76 and 92 Jermyn Street
The
note on page 582 of John Sutherland’s World’s Classics edition of
Trollope’s The Turkish Bath in the volume Later Short
Stories reads:
A
Turkish Bath in Jermyn Street: ie,
The Savoy Turkish Baths at 92 Jermyn Street. The building
(designed by George Somers Clarke) was opened in 1862 and demolished
in 1976....
Although this
information appears in several other works—including The Survey of London,
The London
Encyclopaedia, and
Sarah Perrin’s St James’ London—it is,
unfortunately, incorrect.
Between
1910 and 1941 there were two Turkish baths in Jermyn Street.
The first of these—the one which Trollope used to visit—was the
famous Hammam built by George Somers Clarke behind an existing hotel
at number 76 Jermyn Street, and opened in 1862 by the London
& Provincial Turkish Bath Co Ltd. This was built to the detailed
design of David Urquhart who was initially responsible for its
management.
These
baths closed in 1941, just weeks before the building was destroyed at
3.00 a.m. on 17 April during the London blitz. A modern office block
now stands on the site of the entrance to the baths, but the area
behind the building, where the actual Turkish bath stood, is mainly
open and used as a private car park leading off Bury Street. Peeking
inside one can see where the cooling-room and hot rooms stood and get
an idea of their overall length.
The
second establishment was located at 92 Jermyn Street. This was opened
in 1910 by Henry Adams and bought in 1912 by William Cooper who later
set up a company to run a number of similar baths. The Savoy Turkish
Baths at No.92 was the last of these to survive, remaining open till
1975.
Ormonds
restaurant is now at the rear of the site in which the only vestige of
the baths is a single beautiful wooden panel, while the Jermyn Street
entrance to the baths now leads to Messrs Harvie and Hudson's shirt
shop.
Articles
on both these establishements will appear in due course. In the
meantime some illustrations can be found under the heading London:
Jermyn Street in the Illustrations
index and picture gallery.
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