Swim in Style
and with a spirit
The Church Street baths first opened their doors to the public back in 1887. The building was donated to the town by the mill owner William Laverton. The Victorian swimming pool is widely acknowledged as the oldest public baths in the country.
The
baths were supplied with the large amount of water needed everyday by a
gravity fed pipe that ran all the way from a spring at the Hollow. They
continued to be so supplied until well into the second half of the 20th
century.
The baths are nationally renowned for the resident ghost.
Historians
(not crackpots, honest,) have charted a series of 'super natural' encounters with an apparition,
now
nicknamed George.
One story describes George as being a doomed swimmer who jumped to his death
off the pool balcony while others suggest the ghoul is that of an old boiler
stoker who stands by the pool edge still dressed in his overalls.
I offer my own humble opinion, that people had water in their eyes. Still, George, or no George, the baths are definitely worth a visit. Swimming in this building is a surreal experience, even without a ghost, May I suggest back stroke, to get the full effect.
To contact the baths, or for session times, click HERE (external link)