Westbury Swimming Pool

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Exterior of the pool in 2005 Westbury Swimming Pool - geograph.org.uk - 92737.jpg
Exterior of the pool in 2005

Westbury Swimming Pool is a 19th-century indoor swimming pool in Westbury, Wiltshire, England. The structure is a Grade II listed building.

Contents

History

The facility, on Church Street, Westbury, was a gift to the town from William Henry Lavington to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. [1] Lavington (died 1925; from 1888 the owner of the Leighton House estate) was a prominent owner of cloth mills in the town. [2] His uncle Abraham (1819–1886) had built the Laverton Institute, [3] amongst other gifts to the town, and may have been involved in the planning and financing of the pool. [4]

At first called Westbury Baths, the building opened to the public on 24 May 1887. [1] During the winter, the pool was drained and covered so that the hall could be used for athletics and dancing. [1]

In 1957, the pool was modernised which saw some facilities re-arranged and altered. In 1984 a new plant room was added, the roof was replaced (while retaining the original ironwork), new changing rooms were installed and disabled access was improved. [1]

In 2010, the pool was threatened with closure as part of a wider review of Wiltshire Council's leisure facilities. A campaign was formed to protect the pool. [5] [6] The building was Grade II listed in November 2010; the listing describes it as "an early example of a Victorian indoor swimming pool which has remained in use as a public pool". [1]

Operator

William Laverton conveyed the building to a charitable trust, which continues as a registered charity named Westbury Public Baths. [7] In 1901 the building was transferred to Westbury Urban District Council, which was replaced by West Wiltshire District Council in 1974; the council was the sole trustee of the charity. West Wiltshire was superseded by Wiltshire Council in 2009. The charity has no endowment, therefore (as of 2015) Wiltshire Council funds the operation and maintenance of the pool alongside its other leisure services. [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Historic England. "Swimming Baths, Westbury (1395727)". National Heritage List for England .
  2. ↑ "Westbury: Manors". A History of the County of Wiltshire, Volume 8. Victoria County History. University of London. 1965. pp. 148–163. Retrieved 27 October 2024– via British History Online.
  3. ↑ Historic England. "The Laverton Institute (1180367)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  4. ↑ "Westbury House" (PDF). Wiltshire OPC Project. 2019. p. 3. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  5. ↑ "Campaign to save Victorian pool". 5 March 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  6. ↑ "Victorian pool heritage revitalised for new Westbury era". Wiltshire Times. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  7. ↑ "Westbury Public Baths, registered charity no. 270324". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  8. ↑ "Westbury Public Baths: Annual Report of the Trustees" (PDF). Wiltshire Council. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2024.

51°15′37″N2°10′57″W / 51.2604°N 2.1825°W / 51.2604; -2.1825

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