The Open Air Baths, New Brighton were built at a cost of £103,000 and opened in June 1934 in front of a crowd of 12,000. The baths were a colossal structure, one of the largest of its type ever built. It was designed in the Art Deco style by Wallasey Borough Engineer, Lieutenant Sergeant George Wilkinson. The pool was fed by sea water. Features of the bathing complex included a clock tower, galleries, a grandstand, sun terraces, a diving platform, an aerator fountain, changing room, an entrance block, six shops, and cafes. There was also a stunning Art Deco pavilion. The concrete structure was decorated with green tiles. The pool was 330 feet long and 225 feet wide at its widest point. It was designed like a beach, shallowest at the end by the pavilion but gradually gaining depth until reaching 15 feet next to the diving platform and water polo section on the far side. The baths attracted one million visitors in the first season, including a record 34,560 in one day. However the building later suffered from problems due to being constructed on shifting sands. By the 1980s, the pool attracted only around 30,000 annual visitors. After a storm breached the foundations in 1990, it was demolished.

Period

Modern (1901 and later)

Period comments

DEMOLISHED 1990|Opened 1934

The earliest date of the feature, as a year, if known

1990|1934

The latest date of the feature, as a year, if known

1990|1934

Monument Type - Broad

SHOP|LIDO|BATHS|PAVILION|CHANGING ROOMS|FOUNTAIN|GRANDSTAND|CLOCK TOWER|CAFE|DIVING PLATFORM|OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL

Monument Type - Narrow

Monument Description

Evidence Type - Broad

Evidence Type - Narrow

Evidence Description

Object Type - Broad

Object Type - Narrow

Object Description

Other records:

NRHE Number

1441330

NT HBSMR Number

Unknown

HER Event Number

Unknown

External Link

None

Over to you...

If you know there are errors in the original feature record above, you can edit the original record

If you would like to visit the feature and carry out a 'Feature Update Survey', you can prepare a 'Feature Update Survey' pack for this feature (in PDF format)

If you have completed a 'Feature Update Survey' for this feature, you can submit your 'Feature Update Survey'

If you want to use your smart phone to carry out the 'Feature Update Survey', you can download the CITiZAN smart app.