Description

WHISTON ROAD
1.
5013
TQ 3383 30/701 Haggerston Baths
II

2.
Public baths, 1904 by A.W.S. Cross for Shoreditch Borough Council in Edwardian
Baroque style. Soft red brick in English Bond, with Portland stone dressings,
slate roofs. Single swimming pool, men's and women's slipper baths, some removed,
annexed laundry and chimney. Impressive south elevation. Central pedimented
section of 5 bays, 3 bay wings, slightly set back, to left and right; 4 bay wing
arranged 1:2:1 to left, the central section set forward and emphasized by sweeping
concave quoins. Two storeys, cellars and attics. Stone quoins, moulded stone
entablature with dentil cornice, central pedimented section has ashlar basement
with central round-headed window with eared architrave and a bay-leaf dripmould,
flanked by men's and women's entrances. Each an open pedimented doorway with
cartouche bearing lion motif in relief. Doors now blocked. First and fifth bays
have cellar openings from pavement level with scrolled keystones and metal grilles
above which are oculi with fancy scrolled architraves. Stone string course
between ground and first floors. First floor loggia, distyle in antis of paired
columns with Ionic capitals; first and fifth bays defined by stone quoins abutting
pilaster with Ionic capitals flanking loggia. To left and right, windows of similar
proportions to those in the wings, have stone architraves incorporating bracketted
cills and margin glazing bars with central side hung openings. Full height glazed
openings with stone architraves set in brick screen wall behind loggia. Central
opening has door under shallow bracketted stone hood. In tympanum, round-headed
window with eared architrave in stone, flanked by stone relief panels with
reclining female figure. Shallow balcony railings. Cupola with Ionic columns and
leaded dome, set on square tower to rear of pediment has gilded ship finial.

Flanking wings have sashes with glazing bars, gauged cambered heads with stone
keystone, moulded stone cills above plain brick aprons. Entrance beneath small 3
x 3 light glazed window with similar head, to left bay of each wing. 3 lead
checked dormers, with casements replacing former sashes to each wing. Brick
stacks with oversailing caps above. Similarly detailed wing to left has some
altered brickwork. Tall parapet to central section. Rear elevation, relates to
central pedimented front elevation. Brick with stone dressings, similarly
detailed to front, with repaired brickwork. 5 bays beneath pediment. Ground
floor, first, third and fifth bays of ashlar, the outer two with paired panelled
doors beneath stone keyed heads. Three plain stone rondels in shallow relief
above. Central entrance now blocked to cill height as window, beneath bracketted
open pediment which breaks through stone string course between storeys.

First floor. Central bay has full height metal-framed window with eared architrave
and divided with an upper light; flanked by a pair of stone pilasters with Ionic
capitals, between which is a tall recessed brick panel beneath blind oculus and
all beneath a segmental pediment containing rectangular opening with stone
architrave, the pediment breaking forward from the main cornice. First and fifth
bays breaking forward at upper storey, defined by stone quoins. Second and fourth
bays have window similar to that to centre. All have shallow railings. Single
storey additions to left and right, that to west containing laundry with glazed
north light roof. Tall brick chimney to north west, with banding and stone
brackets at top.

Interior

Single bath now divided to form small learning pool at north end. 8 bay
steel-framed roof of curved members between which are 3 panelled sections to each
side of longitudinal top-lit glazed roof. Original amphitheatre setting with
changing cubicles above was replaced probably 1960's. Slipper baths, replaced
1930's survive to women's section to right. Men's baths removed to create
training area. Former foyer reordered, removing ticket office. 1980's
refurbishment to left. Original panelled doors survive to upper floors. Old
Lancashire boilers-remain in basement, now superceded, with former adjoining
workshop. Historic Buildings Report, London Borough of Hackney, 1988.

Listing NGR: TQ3387383577

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Haggerston Baths at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5638689

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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