Find a book

A Book a Month

We can send a book a month for six or twelve months - the perfect gift. More »

18 May 2021

The Cleveland Baths in Bath have received £300k.'Dating from 1815, they are believed to be the oldest surviving public outdoor swimming pools in England. Their layout, in the shape of a miniature Georgian crescent, and place within the (social) history of outdoor swimming, make them unique both within the Bath World Heritage Site and on national level. They are of particular interest as an expression of the continuing importance of "bathing" at Bath and as one of only a small number of pre-Victorian recreational/sporting buildings to survive nationally. A former caretaker's cottage with attached changing rooms flank a P-shaped pool dating from 1815, altered and extended in c1910. The Cleveland Baths are accessed via a gate on Hampton Row which leads to a steep path down to the baths' site and to the River Avon. They are situated within a walled garden with mature trees, bounded by the river, and were formerly adorned with seats' (Historic England website here).

Back to top