40 Friar Lane

A former Turkish Baths, dating to 1872 in the Venetian Gothic style, built to the designs of John Breedon Everard, now in use as offices.

PLAN: the building has a near-square footprint. It formerly took up almost the full width of the block between Friar Lane and Millstone lane, but half of the building was demolished in the mid C20.

MATERIALS: the building is constructed in red brick with ashlar dressings. It has a slate roof.

DESCRIPTION: the principal elevation of the building is to the north west and is of three storeys and seven bays. There is a two-leaf panelled door to the far right with a round-headed fanlight and hood, which has simple moulding and acanthus detailed brackets. A later doorway has been inserted into a former window in the fourth bay from the left. There are two plate glass sashes between the doors and three two-over-two sashes to the left of the newer opening. The openings on the first and second floor above follow the same rhythm of irregularly spaced openings. There is a decorative terracotta panel below the window of the third bay and an ashlar string course. Three later flat-roofed dormers pierce the brick parapet at regular intervals. The windows are set in segmental headed openings with ashlar keystones. The rainwater goods have been removed from the elevation.

INTERIOR: the front of the building contains offices on the ground floor which are accessed through the later doorway. Beyond that the main Venetian Gothic octagonal bathing hall remains. The space is double height with a central open hall with side passages and a mezzanine on the southern side. It has 8 marble and granite columns, standing on moulded ashlar bases, supporting finely carved capitals decorated with acanthus leaves, flowers and insects. These support 8 pointed arches with white and black masonry detailing, and a further 8 larger interlocking moulded ashlar arches with complex vaulted ribs decorated with dog-tooth and brick infill. Above is a large octagonal lantern, with eight pointed windows containing stained glass. The roof is a polychromatic chevroned brick vault with masonry ribs supported on stub columns which are interspaced with the windows. Some of the vaulted passages which lead off the main hall have brick arches supported on finely carved ornate capitals. At the rear of the space is a now blocked up doorway which formerly led to the heating rooms. The walls retain ceramic tiling. Below the hall is a large brick-lined cellar which mirrors the layout of the hall above with a main central space and side passages. The supporting columns have shaped detailing along their shafts. There are former doorways now blocked with breeze-block which led to the now demolished part of the building.