The swimming baths of LondonDudgeon, R. E. (Robert Ellis)
History
The swimming baths of London
Dudgeon, R. E. (Robert Ellis)
Swimming; Swimming pools -- England -- London
_St. George’s Swimming Bath_, Buckingham Palace Road.—This bath
is 20 yards by 8. Depth from 3 ft. 4 in. to 5 ft. 4 in. Sides of
white porcelain tiles with black spots at angles, and a Greek
pattern in blue along the top row. Bottom of white glazed bricks.
Forty-six open boxes, with half curtains and mirrors, on three
sides of the bath. Wooden footway all round. Ceiling, of iron
work, lofty, supported on painted iron pillars all round the
bath. Lighted by a large glass roof. Spring-board at deep end.
This bath is much superior in size, lighting, and ventilation, to
the establishment in Davies Street. Like the latter, it is first
class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and second class on
other days. It closes the end of October, but the bath in Davies
Street is open all the year.
_St. Giles’ and St. George’s, Bloomsbury, Swimming Baths_, Endell
Street.—The first class bath has an oblong shape, broader at one
end than the other. Its length is 12 yards by 10 at the deep end,
tapering off to 8 at the shallow end. Depth from 4 ft. to 6 ft.
Sides lined with white porcelain tiles with round black spots
at angles, a blue pattern on top row. Bottom of white glazed
bricks. Twenty-three open boxes, with mirrors and curtains, on
one side and along the shallow end. A wide footway of slate on
three sides of the bath. A spring-board at deep end. Pillars,
of painted iron, round three sides of the bath, supporting the
roof. A painted screen about 12 feet high separates this from the
second class bath, which is in all respects the same as the first
class, except that the boxes are not painted and have neither
mirrors nor curtains. The two baths have a common roof of glass,
very lofty, and with elegant iron-work supports. The water is
clear and fresh, the ventilation and lighting excellent. This
and the Tower Hamlets bath are the only ones in London where a
middle-sized man can get out of his depth, which is a great charm
to the practised swimmer.
_St. James’ Swimming Bath_, Marshall Street, Golden Square.—You
mount up a flight of steps to get to this bath. It is about
13 yards by 9. Depth from 3 to 5 feet. Sides of bath slate,
bottom plaster. Eighteen open boxes. A lofty ceiling, well
lighted. The water is dirty looking, and the whole arrangements
very inferior, and altogether second class.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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