Art Deco Swimming Pool & Bath House, England

This 1920s Art Deco Swimming Pool & Bath House was once a bustling community hub, where the “unwashed masses” came to socialise as much as bathe. Inside are the original two swimming pools, one for men and one for women. In the 1950s, a gymnasium, steam room and sauna were added as the site reinvested itself as a leisure centre. The facility closed down around 10 years ago due to disrepair and rising maintenance costs and investment in more modern facilities.

I explored this location on a snowy morning in 2022. After an icy scramble-climb and some squeezing, I found a way inside.

A brief History – The Early years

This Art Deco Swimming Pool & Bath House, completed in 1921, were part of a nationwide effort to improve public hygiene. At a time when many homes lacked bathrooms, municipal bathhouses served the essential purpose of offering clean water and washrooms. There are two pools inside, one for men and one for women.

The building exemplifies the Art Deco movement’s ideals of geometric forms, strong lines, and symmetrical design. The entrance hall was elegant, with decorative tiling and intricate mouldings. Sunlight poured through large arched windows in the swimming halls, creating an atmosphere of both clean utility and elegance. Later mid-century renovations added more utilitarian elements, but with the original craftsmanship clearly evident through the layers of change.

Aside from its architectural significance, Levenshulme Baths played a key role in the community. It was more than just a swimming pool; it was also a venue for meeting and socialising. Generations of local families gathered here, children learning to swim alongside their grandparents, who also learnt in the same pool when they were young. Local schools would come here weekly for physical education classes. The well-attended galas and competitions would have been regular entries in social calendars.

Decline and closure of the Art Deco Swimming Pool & Bath House

By the late 20th century, this Art Deco Swimming Pool & Bath House, along with many other public bathhouses, began struggling. As home plumbing improved and lifestyles changed, fewer people needed municipal facilities. Eventually, budget constraints led to reduced investment in maintenance, and cracks (literal and figurative) began to appear. The once-polished Art Deco tiles lost their shine. Peeling paint made the once grand place look untidy and unkempt. Water stains began to seep through and stain the ceilings as the roof sprang leaks. The old boilers began to fail, resulting in chilly water and unpleasant winter swims. Although the community continued to use the baths, dwindling numbers made funding harder to justify.

As new leisure centres and private gyms opened, members were drawn away by more appealing and modern facilities. The baths attempted to diversify into a leisure centre in the 1950s, adding a gymnasium, steam room and sauna. Unfortunately, the costs of maintaining this ageing building kept growing year-on-year as it fell more into disrepair.

Years of uncertainty continued into the 2010s, when the council earmarked the site for closure due to cost-cutting. The local community sprang to its defence, mounting a public campaign to protest the closure. Hundreds took to the streets, prompting the council to U-turn their decision. The pool had been thrown a lifeline, albeit temporarily. Funding to keep the swimming pool operational would be provided until a suitable replacement was built. Four short years later, the new leisure centre opened, the doors of this Art Deco Swimming Pool & Bath House permanently closed. The formerly bustling hallways are now quiet, and the baths lie rotting, the Art Deco façade a crumbling edifice.