Baths and Public Hall Cheetham Hill Road Cheetham Manchester

At the monthly meeting of the City Council on Wednesday 2 March, Alderman Alfred Evans, Chairman of the Baths and Wash-house Committee reported that the first premium of £50 was to be awarded to “Diver,”(Booth & Chadwick). He noted that some members seemed to think that the work could not be carried out in accordance with the accepted plans for £9000, but his reply was that the stipulation was that the building was not to cost more than that amount, and if the plans could only be carried out at a greater outlay, the matter would have to be set right by the gentlemen who gained the premium. The minutes of the committee were confirmed [Manchester City News 5 March 1892 Page 5}

PUBLIC BATHS AND PUBLIC HALL, CHEETHAM HILL NEAR MANCHESTER - Land has just been purchased and plans approved for the erection of public baths and a public hall in the Bury Old Road, Cheetham, Manchester. Messrs Booth and Chadwick of Manchester are the architects. The public hall will be built on the higher and the baths on the lower land but all the principal entrances will be from Cheeham Hill Road. The first class swimming baths will have a water area of 54 feet by 27 feet, and the second-class one of 74 feet by 24 feet. The latter will be surrounded by a balcony. The pavilion in which it is situate is so arranged as to be capable of being used as a gymnasium in the winter months. There are twenty slipper baths and three waiting rooms. A residence for the superintendent  will be situate over the ticket office and entrances to the baths, and in connection with this department, there is to be a tower for a public clock. The laundry and boiler house are centrally situate between the two large swimming baths and the fall of the land will enable the boiler house to be approached on the street level from Back Halliwell-lane. The public hall will be on the ground floor level and will be practically a separate building. The principal room will have a clear floor area of 64 feet by 42 feet and there will be a balcony gallery in addition. There will also be five retiring and cloak rooms with lavatories etc. attached, a refreshment room, serving room, and a cellar kitchen. There will be an entrance hall leading to the public room; and the retiring room for ladies and gentlemen will be placed to the right and left of it. Additional doors for occasional exit are provided from the public hall and from the large second-class bath pavilion. The design of the building is based on the Italian style with some of the earlier features of the Elizabethan introduced in the windows etc. The main front will be faced with Ruabon stock brick and terra-cotta. The public hall will have a panelled ceiling and be lighted by a series of mullioned windows. [ Builder 21 May 1892 Page 406]

BATHS & PUBLIC HALL, CHEETHAM, MANCHESTER -  The design we publish for the new Baths and Public Hall at Cheetham Hill, Manchester, was selected by the Baths Committee of the Manchester Corporation out of a number of designs submitted in open competition. As can be seen from the ground plan, the site is very irregular in shape, with a good frontage to Cheetham Hill Road and another smaller frontage to Back Halliwell-lane. It has a fall of about 12 feet from the highest to the lowest point. Advantage has been taken of this conformation of the site to place the Public Hall on the highest portion thereof and the Baths on the lower, the Boiler House, Laundry etc being at the lowest point, easily accessible for coals etc at the street level. The first class swimming baths will have a water area of 54 feet by 27 feet and the second class bath one of 75 feet by 24 feet. The latter will be surrounded by a balcony for the accommodation of spectators on the occasion of swimming fetes. The pavilion in which it is situated is so arranged as to be capable of being used as a gymnasium in the winter months. The first-class swimming bath is so planned that it can be used by ladies on such days as may be set apart for that purpose; and a special dressing room has been provided for their accommodation. There are twenty slipper baths and three waiting rooms and these will be classified as ladies’ and mens’ first and second-class. A commodious residence for the superintendent will be situated over the ticket office and entrances to the baths, and in connection with this department there is a handsome tower for the reception of a public clock.  The public hall is to be on the ground floor level and be practically a separate building, designed to be capable of being used for lectures, public meetings, conversaziones, concerts, bazaars, dramatic performances, dances and all other proper purposes. The principal room will have a clear floor area of 64 feet by 42 feet, and there will be a balcony gallery in addition. There will also be five retiring and cloak rooms, with lavatories attached, a refreshment room, serving room and cellar kitchen. There will be a fine entrance hall leading to the public room; and the retiring rooms for ladies and gentlemen will be placed to the right and left of it; and these will, by being placed close up to the main road, secure the large hall against the noise and disturbance arising from street traffic. Additional doors for occasional exit are provided from the public hall and from the large second-class bath pavilion.  The architects are Messrs Booth and Chadwick of Manchester, who have received instructions to prepare the necessary working drawings and to obtain tenders for the erection and equipment of the building. [Builder 28 May 1892 . Page 417 and 418].

In the Spring of 1893 Booth and Chadwick became embroiled in controversy in respect of the Baths, played out in the correspondence columns of the Manchester City News. A letter was published in the under the pseudonym “Halfrin” charging the members of the Baths Committee with incompetence and in so doing attacked Booth & Chadwick’s ability and professional integrity.

THE CHEETHAM HILL BATHS - The public baths which have been erected at Cheetham Hill were formally opened yesterday afternoon by the Lord Mayor of Manchester (Mr Alderman Marshall) in the presence of a large assemblage. The buildings, which were designed by Messrs Booth and Chadwick, architects, comprise a first-class swimming bath, with water area 54 feet by 27 feet, and a second-class bath with a water area 75 feet by 24 feet The latter is surrounded by a balcony over the dressing rooms for the accommodation of spectators on the occasion of swimming contests. The first class baths will be set apart on certain days for ladies. There are also twenty slipper baths, with waiting rooms, etc. A residence is provided for the superintendent over the ticket office and entrance to the baths, and as a crown to the building there is a clock tower with four dials. Not the least important part of the structure is a well-arranged hall, suitable for public gatherings, concerts and the like. This hall is on the ground floor, and has a clear floor area of 64 feet by 42 feet The contractor for the building were Messrs Robert Neill and Sons and the engineering work has been done by Messrs Matthews and Yates Limited. [Manchester Guardian 12 April 1894 page 6]

Reference    Manchester City News 23 April 1892 Page 5 (with illustration)
Reference    Manchester City News 14 May 1892 Page 8 (Tenders)
Reference    Manchester Courier. Saturday 14 May 1892 Page 3 (Contracts)
Reference    Manchester Guardian 10 May 1892 page 3 – contracts
Reference    Builder 21 May 1892 Page 406
Reference    Builder 28 May 1892 . Page 416 (illustration) 417 and 418
Reference    Manchester City News 5 March 1892 Page 5
Reference    Manchester City News Saturday 31 March 1894 Page 5 Column 4
Reference    Manchester Guardian 12 April 1894 page 6
Pevsner: `   South Lancashire Page 340