Woolton Baths, Quarry Street South, Liverpool

Swimming baths built 1891–1893, designed by Horton & Bridgford of Manchester. The building is constructed in pressed red brick with red sandstone and terracotta dressings, with a red sandstone entrance block and slate roofs. It is designed in the Baroque Revival style and is single-storey in height.

Plan and Setting

Woolton Baths occupy a sloping corner site at the junction of Allerton Road and Quarry Street South, with the land rising from Allerton Road towards Quarry Street South. The building has a distinctive V-shaped plan with its main entrance positioned at the north corner facing the junction. The swimming pool hall runs alongside Quarry Street South, whilst the former private baths range extends along Allerton Road. Attached to the Allerton Road range is a slightly earlier range, believed to have originally served as stables and subsequently as a fire station, which now forms part of the baths complex.

Exterior

Front (North) Elevation

The main entrance is constructed of red sandstone quarried locally from nearby Woolton Quarry. It comprises three bays with a tall central doorcase featuring two blocked, engaged Tuscan columns flanking a raised doorway approached by three steps. Above the replacement double doors is a large segmental-headed overlight with a console-shaped keystone. The doorway is flanked by two segmental-headed windows fitted with one-over-one sashes, each with console-shaped keystones. Banded pilasters mark the outer edges of the elevation. The engaged columns and pilasters support an entablature beneath a pediment, the centre of which projects slightly forward in alignment with the doorcase below. This central projection incorporates a large square plinth rising above the pediment with scrolled feet and a carved, eared panel featuring prominent guttae at its base and large carved lettering reading 'BATHS'. The plinth is surmounted by a large segmental pediment containing a shell design with a ball finial above.

The north-east angled side return of the entrance is one bay deep and follows the same styling as the front elevation, with a single sash window flanked by banded pilasters and an entablature above. Both this window and the window to the left of the entrance light the baths' office.

North-East Elevation

This elevation, forming the north-east side of the swimming pool hall facing Quarry Street South, is constructed of pressed brick with a brick and sandstone plinth and comprises six bays. The swimming pool hall is taller than the entrance block and has a hipped roof incorporating a roof lantern that runs the full length of the range. Banded pilaster strips divide the bays and incorporate small terracotta lion's mask panels towards the top. At the centre top of each bay is an oculus (covered by a green panel) set within a stone surround with an apron that incorporates a stone stringcourse running the full length of the range. To the far right of the elevation is the north-east return of the entrance block as described above. The south-east return of the swimming pool hall is in mellow red brick and is blank apart from a tall infilled segmental-arched opening to the centre with a later inserted doorway.

North-West Elevation

This elevation consists of the former private baths range facing Allerton Road, which is similarly styled to the swimming pool hall but lower in height. The range is constructed of pressed brick with a brick and sandstone plinth and stone dressings, including two stringcourses. It comprises five bays divided by banded pilaster strips, each incorporating a small foliated terracotta panel. Set in the centre of bay one, between the stringcourses, is a small stained glass window. Other identical-sized openings in the remaining bays, which probably originally lit the individual private baths behind, have been infilled. The roof is mainly hidden from view by a brick parapet with stone copings, but a series of skylights and a tiny dormer window can be observed.

Rising above and behind the baths range is the north-west end wall of the swimming pool hall, which incorporates a raised gable and a large oculus (covered by a green panel) set within a decorative stone surround. Below right is a further lion's mask terracotta panel. Attached to the south-west end of the former private baths range is an earlier range in brown brick (believed to have possibly originally been stables and later a fire station, but now forming part of the baths complex) that is blank apart from a blocked-up square opening with a red sandstone lintel. The main part of the range is two storeys high (with door and window openings on the rear elevation) with a pitched slate roof, whilst the south-west end of the range has a pent roof visible on the rear elevation. The south-west end return of the range is blank.

Rear Elevation

The rear of the baths complex faces into a large rear yard. The north-east side of the yard is formed by a boiler house block incorporating a former laundry, which is attached to the south-west elevation of the swimming pool hall. The block is in mellow red brick and consists of a two-storey section to the left (the first-floor level is the ground floor internally due to the sloping nature of the site) with two segmental-headed windows and a hipped roof with raised brick banding below the eaves, skylights, and a square raised vent to the roof apex. The single-storey section to the right forms a catslide roof with the swimming pool hall behind, and has three vents to the south-west wall and two large skylights to the roof.

Attached in front of the two-storey section is a tall octagonal pressed-brick chimney with stone dressings, set upon a mellow red brick base. To the left of the chimney is a plank and batten door leading to basement plant rooms. The rear of the former stable and fire station range forms the north-west side of the yard. The single-storey section to the south-west end has two large blocked-up square openings with an off-centre substantial dividing timber, suggesting it was possibly originally a cart shed with an open side. The opening to the right has an inserted doorway with a triple band of glazed bricks above. To the right of this is the rear of the two-storey section, which has a large doorway to the centre flanked by window openings (boarded over externally); that to the left is taller, and all have substantial red sandstone lintels. To the far right of the ground floor is a further narrower doorway with a ledged and braced door and a three-light overlight. To the first floor, in line with the windows below, are a timber taking-in door and a window to the left and right respectively.

Interior

Internally the baths have a small entrance hall with a geometric-patterned tiled floor and an office off to the left (east) side with a partly glazed timber screen. Off to the right of the entrance hall is a small room that was possibly originally one of the private baths. The remaining private baths, which were also located off to the right of the entrance hall, have now been converted into a men's changing room and an access route.

Set to the rear of the entrance hall is a painted stone stair flight accessing the swimming pool, which is on a raised level due to the sloping nature of the site. The swimming pool measures 60 feet by 25 feet with the deep end located at the south-east end. It is lined with white glazed tiles with a decorative blue Anthemion and Palmette motif border, believed to be possibly by Minton. The pool is edged with sandstone and also has scum troughs and cast-iron grab rails with moulded end caps. Access into the pool is via four timber and cast-iron ladders located at each corner.

The 18 changing cubicles that originally lined the north-east wall have been removed, but an original angled recess with chamfered jambs set towards the north-west end of the south-west wall survives. This now contains poolside showers but originally contained a footbath. An adjacent ledged and braced door accesses a narrow corridor that leads to a timber stair flight, which leads down into what is now the men's changing rooms and showers (originally the private baths).

A gallery with a painted decorative wrought-iron balustrade and later timber changing cubicles is set to the north-west end of the swimming pool hall above the entrance and is accessed by a timber stair with a replaced balustrade. The pool hall's roof is of timber and is partly boarded with wrought-iron rods and supports incorporating pierced quatrefoil decoration attached to the principals. It is lit by a large roof lantern that runs the full length of the pool. To the south-east end wall of the swimming pool hall is a square-headed doorway with a replaced door.

The former boiler house complex, including laundry, is located off to the south-west side of the pool via an arched doorway containing an original panelled door and another square-headed doorway with chamfered jambs. These areas have been converted into a ladies' changing room, storage area, and a plant room that has been opened up down to basement level.

The ground-floor rooms of the former stable and fire station range have a mixture of stone flag, sett, and concrete floors. The probable former cart shed is now a plant room and has an exposed timber truss. The central ground-floor room is believed to have been stables and has a hayloft above. An original two-light window with a casement to the upper part and ventilation screen below can be observed internally, and a timber ladder stair exists to the south corner. The hayloft contains a king-post roof truss. A six-over-six sash window can be observed internally in the range's north-easternmost ground floor room, but the original ladder stair has been removed.