Closures since 1990, and baths under threat

 

When the Victorian Turkish Bath Project started collecting data in 1990, there were at least 34 Turkish baths built on the Victorian model still open in the British Isles, though there were no longer any in Ireland where they all started.

In November 1999, when this website first went online, there were only 24 Turkish baths remaining, and the last one in Wales had closed.

When this page was last revised, on 03 March 2012, there were only 15 remaining.

Turkish baths closed since 1990

Closed	Location	When open
1990	GLASGOW: Calder Street (99), Govanhill	1917—1990
1990	SHEFFIELD: Glossop Road / Victoria Street / Convent Walk	1877—1990
1990+	BLACKPOOL: Warley Road, North Promenade	1965—1990+
1993	MANCHESTER: Victoria Baths, High Street, Chorlton-in-Medlock	1906—1993
1995	GLASGOW: Medwyn Street, Whiteinch	1926—1995
1996	ESTON: Normanby Road	1964—1996
1997	STANLEY: High Street	1975—1997
1998	STOCKTON-ON-TEES: Church Road	1969—1998
1998	CARDIFF: Wales Empire Pool	1958—1998
1998	GLOUCESTER: Barton Street	1891—1998
2000	GATESHEAD: Alexandra Road, Gateshead Leisure Centre	1981—2000
2001	EPSOM: East Street	1939—2001
2005	LONDON: Lewisham High Street	1965—2005
2007	WHITLEY BAY, The Links	1974—2007
2008	WORCESTER: Sansome Walk	1860—2008
2008	ABERDEEN: Justice Mill Lane	1940—2008
2008	DUNFERMLINE: Pilmuir Road	1905—2008
2010	NOTTINGHAM: Bath Street	1975—2010
2011	NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYNE: Marsh Street	1975—2011

 

Turkish baths under threat

Closed	Location	When open
?	BIRMINGHAM: Mason Road, Erdington	1925—
?	DONCASTER: 72 Waterdale	1932—
?	ROCHDALE: Entwistle Road	1937—

 

There are now only 15 remaining Turkish baths, with three more under threat: Birmingham, Doncaster, and Rochdale.

According to correspondent Tony Zimnoch, in Rochdale a new complex without Turkish baths is being built next door to the existing 1937 Turkish baths which are slated to close some time next year.

Of these sixteen, three (two in Glasgow and one in London) are only open to members of the clubs which own them, leaving a grand total of twelve Turkish baths currently open to members of the general public in the whole of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Of these twelve, only the Turkish baths in Harrogate and Edinburgh were built during the reign of Queen Victoria. The baths owned by the two members' clubs in Glasgow were both built during Victoria's reign, while those in London's RAC Club and the public baths in Carlisle were designed during her reign and built shortly afterwards.

The baths at Nottingham were especially important as they were the last modern interpretation of the Victorian Turkish bath concept to be built in the final quarter of the twentieth century, 128 years after the first Manchester baths opened.

The Turkish Baths Suite at the local authority Glossop Road Baths, Sheffield—after being closed for several years—has been re-opened as a modern spa. While the appearance and shape of parts of the original building have been preserved and restored, they have all been put to new uses (including sauna, steam bath, and an ice room) but there is no longer a functioning Turkish bath, in spite of conditions made in response to public demand before the site was privately redeveloped.

There are only three bright spots on the horizon.

First, is the news that the London Borough of Islington is to refurbish and enhance the 1930s Turkish bath at Ironmonger Row.

Second, is that thanks to a successful local campaign, the St James Baths in Doncaster have been given Listed status and the Turkish baths appear to have at least a temporary reprieve.

Third, is the possibility of eventually re-opening the superb Turkish Baths in the Victoria Baths complex at Manchester. These were designed by a Victorian architect, though the building was not started till 1903 and the baths not opened till 1906. But there is a long way to go yet before they open again to bathers.

 

This page last updated 03 March 2012