St James' Pool and Health Club

St James' Pool and Health Club

This two-storey building complex, dating from the early 20th century, comprises a public swimming pool with associated bathing facilities, sited on Waterdale (formerly St James Street) and College Street in Doncaster.

The main entrance is housed in a two-storey block on Waterdale, consisting of seven bays with a wide pediment over the slightly projecting central three bays. The entrance features a wide stone portico with Ionic and Tuscan columns and is topped by a hipped roof. The central first-floor window contains a stone tympanum panel with a relief carving of the Doncaster coat of arms; the other windows are set in stone surrounds. Single-storey flat-roofed ranges flank the entrance block. The left range, originally for women, contains five bays with small rectangular windows in stone surrounds. The right range, originally for men, has five bays with similar windows to the left section, whilst the right-hand portion steps forward slightly and is blind. A second entrance block on College Street was built as the concert and entertainment entrance. It is also two storeys with a slightly projecting central pedimented section and hipped roof. The central segmental-arched doorway is flanked by two-light mullion windows with a wide recessed balcony at first-floor level featuring a stone balustrade of bulbous balusters flanked by Ionic columns. The symmetrical outer bays each contain a tall stair light and two-light mullion windows on ground and first floors; these retain original multi-pane frames. This entrance block is flanked by recessed single-storey flat-roofed ranges set behind original low walls; the curved wall to the left is surmounted by cast-iron railings.

The large swimming pool hall occupies the rear, with Diocletian windows to the upper walls and a double-pitched slate roof with glazed ridge louvre. All windows to this elevation have modern uPVC frames. At the opposite end of the complex, against the north-east gable wall of the pool hall, stands a flat-roofed block containing the stage, with a lower flat-roofed block housing dressing rooms abutting it. A pitched roof range to the rear, with ventilated and glazed ridge louvre, formerly contained the boiler house, filtration system and laundry.

The plan comprises a pool hall running parallel to Waterdale to the rear of the range housing the baths' entrance and crush hall, with a former manager's flat above. The entrance is flanked by changing rooms and former slipper baths, now converted to gym rooms. The Turkish and Russian baths suite is located in the basement, reached by steps down from the crush hall; steps at the far end lead up to the pool hall with no separate plunge pool. A second entrance at the south-west end of the pool hall faces onto College Street and was used when the pool was boarded over in winter. Crush halls occupy both ground floor and first floor, opening onto the pool balcony, with a first-floor projector room and a stage at the north-east end of the pool hall and dressing rooms to the rear. Ancillary rooms to the rear of the pool hall formerly housed laundry (now aerobics studio), filtration system and boiler house, kitchen and pool-side kiosk.

The baths' crush hall rises full height and is lit by a roof lantern and two Venetian windows. On the left wall is a brass plaque commemorating the opening of the baths. A flight of tiled stairs rises to a landing from which double doors open onto the pool balcony. Beneath the balcony are glazed double doors leading through to the pool, with a flight of steps to the right descending to the Turkish baths suite. These are separated from the crush hall by a wall with a rectangular opening containing a metal-work screen depicting a sailing ship. Double doors to either side of the crush hall lead to the changing rooms, which have been refurbished and updated.

The eight-bay pool hall features a barrel-vaulted roof with curved steel roof trusses. The first-floor balcony has an original curved iron balustrade to three sides with a stage proscenium arch to the fourth side (north-east), flanked by two balcony doorways. Above the stage is a three-light segmental-headed window containing stained glass depicting a sailing ship. The south-west end wall has two small square projection apertures to the centre, relating to the projector room to the rear, flanked by half-glazed double doors opening onto the balcony. The pool side is double stepped to accommodate the sprung floor originally laid in winter. The pool itself has square portholes along each long side for under-water lighting. The front of the stage is presently boarded over, but the deep wooden stage remains to the rear, as do the dressing rooms and two stair halls.

The concert entrance contains two flights of stairs rising to a crush hall with round-headed arcading. The hall is divided in two by the central projection room and external balcony.

A notable feature is the original mosaic floor tiling throughout, executed by the Carrara Marble Company Liverpool Ltd and found in the two entrances, many rooms, and the pool hall. In most areas the tiles are cream laid in a herringbone pattern with coursed borders incorporating black tiles in lines, Greek key, and checks. The basement Turkish and Russian baths suite has Greek key borders in two-tone blue tiles. The baths' entrance crush hall contains a floor mosaic of the Doncaster coat of arms held by two sedant lions with the town motto 'Confort et Liesse' (Comfort and Joy). Most of this mosaic is presently covered by modern carpeting.

The stairs to the Turkish Baths descend to a lobby with the small former Sun Ray room to the right. To the left is the lounge, or cooling room, which has been refurbished. Beyond is the Turkish baths suite. A lobby contains a circular drinking fountain with stylised female art deco heads to the bowl, made of earthenware glazed to appear like green marble. The walls are fully tiled in cream mosaic tiles with a blue dado band above which are small stylised blue and red flower motifs set out in a grid pattern surrounded by red and cream check borders. On the right side of the lobby are three hot rooms forming the Turkish baths. The doorway opens into the largest room, the tepidarium, which leads through an arched doorway to the second room, the calidarium. This in turn leads through an arched doorway to the smallest and hottest room, the laconicum, which has a heating element on one wall. All rooms have mosaic tiled floors and walls similar to those in the lobby. The original concrete ceiling is visible in the smallest room; the other two have suspended ceilings. On the left side of the lobby are the former Russian bath room, masseur's room, and shower and lavatory. The masseur's table and needle shower have been removed. The Russian bath retains the original mosaic tiled floor but the walls have been retiled. The masseur's room has been converted into a shower room with modern tiled floor and walls.

A wide basement walkway runs around the base of the swimming pool. The concrete pool walls contain square portholes with fixtures for electric bulbs.