Ironmonger Row Baths facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ironmonger Row Baths |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Type |
|
| Location | St Luke's, Islington, London |
| Address | 1–11 Ironmonger Row |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°31′36″N 0°05′41″W / 51.526643°N 0.094830°W |
| Opened | 1931 |
| Management | Greenwich Leisure Limited |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | AWS & KMB Cross |
| Designations | Grade II Listed |
| Other information | |
| Facilities | steam room, hot rooms, massage slabs, plunge pool, launderette |
Ironmonger Row Baths are a famous public swimming pool and Turkish bath in London, England. They are located on Ironmonger Row, in the St Luke's area of Islington. These baths were first built as a place for people to wash and later became a popular spot for relaxing in hot rooms, like a Turkish bath.
Contents
What's Inside the Baths?
The baths offer many cool features for visitors. You can find a steam room, which is a warm, steamy place. There's also a Victorian-style Turkish bath. This special area has three hot rooms, each with a different temperature.
Relaxation and Swimming
After the hot rooms, you can relax on marble slabs. These are used for massage or body scrubbing. For a refreshing cool-down, there's an icy plunge pool. The baths also have two quiet areas where you can simply chill out.
The swimming pool is very long, about 100 feet (over 30 metres). Next to the pool, there is a small sauna. The building also has a modern gym with lots of equipment. If you need to do laundry, there's a shared laundry room available too.
Recent Updates and Programs
The entire building had big updates between May 2010 and December 2012. These changes made the baths even better. Today, the facility runs many fun programs. One exciting program is a branch of the Tom Daley Diving Academy. This is a great place for young divers to learn and practice.
History of Ironmonger Row Baths
The Ironmonger Row Baths were designed by architects AWS & KMB Cross. They first opened their doors in 1931. Since a major update in 2012, the baths have been managed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).
Home to Olympic Divers
From just after World War II until the late 1960s, these baths were very special. They were the home of the world-famous Highgate Diving Club. The club held their practice nights there every Friday. They also met during public swimming times on Saturday mornings.
Many famous divers trained at Ironmonger Row Baths. This includes Brian Phelps, who won a Bronze medal in highboard diving at the 1960 Olympics. He trained there regularly with his coach, Wally Orner. Other international and Olympic divers like John Chandler and Billy Wood also practiced at these baths.
Building Recognition
In November 2006, the baths were given a special status. They were listed as a Grade II building. This means they are an important historic building that needs to be protected. The baths are also part of the St. Luke’s Conservation Area.
Timeline of Key Events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1931 | The baths opened as public baths. The Finsbury Metropolitan Borough Council owned them. Turkish baths were planned for the basement. |
| 1938 | An extension was added, and the Turkish baths officially opened on October 22. |
| 1950 | During the 1950s and early 1960s, the baths offered "slipper baths." These were private bathtubs for people who didn't have a bath or shower at home. There was also a shared laundry area. |
| 1966 | The baths came under the ownership of the London Borough of Islington. This happened after the Finsbury and Islington boroughs joined together. |
| 1990 | The Ironmonger Row Turkish baths were updated and reopened. The building was then known as Finsbury Leisure Complex. |
| 2009 | Plans for a big £16 million renovation were announced. The work was expected to finish in 2012. |
| 2010 | The baths closed in May for the major renovation work to begin. |
| 2012 | The large renovation project was completed, and the baths reopened. |
