Former Bath City Laundry

SWALLOW STREET 656-1/41/1613 Former Bath City Laundry 05/08/75

GV II

Laundry, now workshops. c1889. By Major Charles Davis, City architect. MATERIALS: Partly limestone ashlar, and partly coursed dressed stone, pantile roofs, water tank covered in corrugated asbestos sheeting. LOCATION: Rectangular site along Swallow Street and York Street. EXTERIOR: Single storey and attic, five bay front to York Street, Ionic pilastrade on ground floor with altered infill, door and arched windows. Upper floor has plain sashes between Doric pilasters, corresponding with the Douche and Massage Baths opposite (see Part of Queen's Bath, Stall Street). Entablature and cornice at first floor, dentil cornice with blocking at eaves. Corner doorway with paired Ionic pilasters, now glazed. Three bay front to Swallow Street, plain with small sash windows, plain. Further sections along Swallow Street in squared coursed stone, with variety of doors and windows. Baroque doorway with pediment on brackets, broken by achievement-of-arms, panelled double doors. Massive fluted ashlar chimney, given classical Baroque dressing, rising through arcaded square pavilion base, in centre of site. INTERIOR: Not inspected. HISTORY: Part of the great High Victorian programme of improvements to the baths area, the utilitarian institution of the City Laundry was located here in order to take advantage of nearby source of natural hot water, which carried to site over Swallow Street bridge. In response to its location, Davis produced an exceptionally opulent 'Free Renaissance' design that contrasts tellingly with the neighbouring Georgian public buildings. Listed together with `Part of the Queen's Bath' (qv). SOURCES: (Orbach J: Card Index of Bath Architects and Streets: 1978-).

Listing NGR: ST7507264684