Bigfern Guide: Changing Harborough - Public Swimming baths

Old Public Baths Northampton Road.
The top picture shows the old public swimming baths in Northampton road shortly before demolition in 2000. The original windows shown boarded up, and front of the building had ornate architecture, unlike the extension nearest the camera.

Marshall Court Retirement Homes
These flats, (opposite) replace the swimming baths. While blending in with the old Police building in the background, it's just one more example of our heritage being lost to old people's homes.

Old Police House.
For a short time, the demolition of the old swimming baths revealed the picturesque south wall of 53 Northampton Road (below). Decorative horizontal patterns of blue bricks adorn its walls. This building's former uses were as a Police Building and Urban District Council Offices.
In the distance to the right of the picture, the top of the old Symington's Coffee Mills can just be seen.

Changing Harborough

A Nineteenth Century vision for the town.

In the early 1890's, there was much debate within the Urban District Council about providing swimming baths for the town. The idea of having a purpose built building raised heated argument among councillors, many of whom held the view that it would be an unnecessary drain on already low financial resources.

By 1895, the UDC had purchased the old Police building at 53 Northampton Road, along with some adjacent land. This land was thought suitable for erection of a dedicated building for the baths, but the financial situation governed that it would be some considerable years before the project could be economically viable. Then, a short time later that year, Clr J. L. Douglass who for some time had been a keen advocate for a purpose built building, brought news of an anonymous donor pledging £1,000 towards the cost of such a building - more than half of the total projected cost. This was on condition that it would be ready for use by the spring of 1896.

This generous gift meant that the project could go ahead, and very soon work began by builder E. Fox of Leicester, after his successful tender. Due to several setbacks, the building was not finally completed until late September 1896, when a grand opening was planned.
The identity of the anonymous donor had not been secret for long, as many had guessed that it was J. W. Logan. It was he who performed the Opening Ceremony on 29th September that year in the presence of many local dignitaries and a large crowd of townsfolk.

A century of service.

The building was to provide swimming facilities for the district for the next 100 years. This red-bricked construction had contrasting stonework over the arched windows and set in and on top of the walls. The facing wall was very ornate compared to the main body of the building, with its decorative stonework forming a pinnacle high above the roof. A small porch greeted one at the front, and then inside there was a small office on the left, and a pair of Georgian style glass swinging doors into the main pool area itself.

Along the right of the building ran a row of changing cubicles - two stories high. The pool measured 75 feet long by 25 feet wide, with a depth of 3 feet 6 inches at the front end dropping to 7 feet at the far wall, where there stood a 9 feet diving board with multiple boards staggering its height. It was lined with white glazed bricks with two rows of blue ones forming lines down its length. All around the sides was mounted a galvanised metal rail, that acted as a lifeline for those of us who were not very adept at staying afloat!

Looking up, one could see the metal framework supporting the corrugated roof, which had skylights along its length.

During those early years, the baths were considered better than many of the facilities offered by neighbouring towns, but in its later life, despite an extensive facelift, became too small and old fashioned for a community used much better offerings elsewhere. When a Leisure Centre was built on the southern edge of the town in 1991, the baths were closed and then demolished in the year 2000.

Frank Bingley