Coventry Public Baths, Priory Street, Coventry

• Harold T Burgess and Spalding and Cross, joint architects

The swimming baths were opened in 1894, and stood until demolition in 1966 after being damaged beyond repair in WW2. They had been built to replace some even older public baths in Hales Street which had been built in 1852 but were soon outgrown and demolished in 1902, making way for the old Fire Station.

BATHS, COVENTRY - The new public baths Pool Meadow. Coventry, are approaching completion. and will shortly be opened. The result of the competition for plans for the new baths was that Mr. H. T. Burgess, a pupil in the office of Messrs. Spalding & Cross, London, was appointed architect, his set of drawings being awarded the first premium of £100. The contract for the work was secured by Mr. C. G. Hill, and the erection of the building commenced in July, 1892. The front block in the centre is three stories high, with a one-story wing on each side, the brick walls being relieved with carved stone dressings in floral designs. The entrance for gentlemen is immediately to the left of the centre and that for the ladies to the right, with the ticket office between. In the front block are also caretaker's quarters and waiting-rooms for both ladies and gentlemen, approached from vestibules connected with the respective entrances. From the gentlemen's first-class waiting-room access is gained to the gentlemen's private baths, of which there are ten, each provided with a shower apparatus, and to the first class or exhibition swimming bath, 35 feet by 90 ft., with a water depth ranging from 3 ft. to 7 ft The platform around is 4 ft. 6 in. wide, and down the two sides and at one end are dressing-boxes with half-length doors. Above the dressing-boxes a gallery is carried all round the bath for spectators; the gallery being reached by the main staircase the front block. The roof is supported by upright columns and wooden beams elliptical in shape, and has a continuous skylight nearly the whole length of the bath, and the ventilation is worked from the platform. The bath is lined with white glazed bricks, with b ; ones introduced in various patterns a.t intervals. A shower-bath is placed behind the diving-board The other two swimming-baths—the ladies and the second-class men's—are similar in size, construction, and appointments, except that there is no gallery; and the second-class men's bath has adjoining “soap-hole." There are ladies' first and second-class private baths, reached from the vestibule. The men's second-class baths, swimming, and private-baths of which latter there are twenty—are reached by a corridor. By this corridor also the laundry and necessary appurtenances are reached. The machinery in this department will be driven by a Tangy 4-h.p. steam-engine. The boiler-house, in which are two Cornish boilers, adjoins. A tank for the storage of water for the private baths is placed in the top of the building, available whenever the lot supply may be temporarily cut off. The foreman in charge of the works is Mr. W McCarthy, and the clerk of the works Mr. A. Davies. [Builder 26 August 1893 page 162]

CITY OF COVENTRY PUBLIC BATHS - We give the plans and view of public baths which have been built by the Corporation of Coventry. It will be seen that all the baths (both slipper and swimming) and the whole of the service laundry department are on one level. The simplicity of plan thus insured, in addition to securing the utmost possible convenience to the public making use of the establishment, facilitates an economical system of administration with efficiency of working, easy and effective supervision, and minimum cost of construction. The men's and women's baths have separate entrances; between these is placed the check-taker's office, so that one person can take the money from both sexes and classes. The full total of private baths is—i.e., ten men's first-class private baths, twenty men's second-class private baths, four women's first-class private baths, and six women's second-class private baths; total number of private baths, forty. Each of these sets or groups (all amply lighted and ventilated) is complete in itself, with waiting-room, W.C., etc., and it is to be noted that each attendant in charge of a department can easily supervise the adjoining one by means of the direct communication that has been provided. The first-class swimming bath for men is conveniently near the men's entrance, with direct access from it as well as from their private baths. Its size is 90 feet by 35 feet. The men's second-class baths are also conveniently planned, and are directly approached by a corridor 6 feet in width from the men's separate entrance. Sixty-two dressing-boxes are provided for the first-class swimming-bath, whilst for use in connection with the second-class swimming bath, which is of similar size to the first-class bath—viz., 90 feet by 35 feet - there are 59 dressing boxes. In the first-class swimming-bath, the deeper end is placed on the side furthest from the entrance, and in both baths the full depth of water — viz., 6 feet 6 inches—is secured to a distance of some 9 feet or 10 feet from the retaining wall of the deep end, so as to afford the greatest possible depth at the point where divers would enter the water. The shallow end of each bath is provided with a cast iron scum trough. Between the deep ends of the two swimming-baths is placed an inspection chamber for the efficient working of the various valves connected with the supply and waste pipes. I n all cases the requirements of public baths have been carefully studied, whilst every precaution has been taken in so planning the buildings as to insure thorough lighting and proper sanitary arrangements and ventilation to all departments. In view of the utilisation of the first-class men's swimming-bath as a public hall, two doorways are provided leading into the Oft. corridor, one at each end of the bath for exits. This corridor leads directly into Priory-street, and thus affords good facilities for public egress. All or any of the waiting-rooms adjoining the entrances from Priory-street would be available for cloak-rooms. The service laundry department has been placed at the east end of the site, from which it is directly accessible. The boiler-house, coal-store, etc., with good external access from the rear of site, is placed next to the service laundry, and a corridor leads to this and the service laundry from the 6 feet corridor. The front of the baths abutting on Priory-street has been faced with the best local red bricks with Portland stone dressings. The entrance steps and all staircases are of granolithic concrete, and all balusters, etc., are of iron. The internal walls throughout are faced with selected facing-bricks, and the insides of the swimming-baths are lined with white glazed bricks. AH floors and passages are of fireproof construction, and the flooring round the swimming-baths is formed in granolithic, and a curbed and sunk channel is continued in order to prevent the surface water from passing into the baths. The first-class private baths are of porcelain, and the second-class of enamelled iron. The front roofs are tiled with Broseley tiles, and the roofs of the swimming-baths are covered with the best Bangor duchess slates. These baths have been built by Mr. C. Gray Hill, of Coventry, at a total cost of £17,965 16s. 10d. Mr. Harold Burgess and Messrs. Spalding and Cross, F/F.R.I.B.A., were joint architects in the carrying out of the works, and Mr. Alfred Davies acted as clerk of works. [Building News 24 January 1896 page 126]

Reference        Builder 16 April 1892 page 315 - tenders
Reference        Builder 26 August 1893 page 162
Reference        Building News 24 January 1896 page 126 with plan and perspective