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Images from the now closed swimming pool in Harpurhey Manchester.
Here's a little history.
The decline and closure of Harpurhey Baths
It was not really until after the First World War that bathing became a habit. By that time most of the houses being built had their own bathrooms where baths could be taken in ease and comfort. This improvement in housing meant that public facilities were no longer required for sanitary purposes. Similarly, relative cheapness and availability of domestic appliances meant that laundries also fell into decline. Manchester City Council closed all its laundries in the early 1980s.
Harpurhey Baths finally closed completely in 2001 after serious defects were discovered in the building’s walls and machinery. Cracks in the baths’ walls that had previously been repaired had widened beyond repair and some of the walls were bowing. There were also problems with the baths’ steam boilers and the drainage system. The North City Family and Fitness Centre, incorporating a 25 metre swimming pool, was due to open 18 months later nearby on Moston Lane, making running repairs to the baths, which would have cost £3m, unfeasible.
The Jubilee Pool was a contentious project. Built on Battery Rocks, a popular bathing area, the council was divided as wether to spend the funding on the pool, or improving the town’s water supply. Described alternatively as Art Deco, Art Nouveau or Cubist, its design is alleged to have been based on a seagull in flight. It was built between 1931 and 1934, and opened in 1935 to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V.
It was badly damaged by storms in 1962, when the sea breached the far wall. Following repair it became a Listed Building, but was further extensively damaged in 2014, and restored again. In 2019 it became the UK’s only lido to be heated with geothermal energy, from a 410 metre deep geothermal well drilled into the rocks below. It is run today as a social enterprise.
With the rock architecture and stepping stones, this pool gives swimmers the impression that they are in a refreshing creek or lake without leaving the comfort of their home.
FARISDECOR Expert et professionnel en décoration de tous les biens immobiliers au Maroc .il décore, votre habitation ou relooke votre intérieur et extérieur.(www.farisdecor.blogspot.com)