Woodcock Street Baths is a swimming pool, part of the Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre in Birmingham, England. The pool dates from 1902. It was originally a public baths; it is now part of Aston University and is operated by Sport Aston. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]
The pool is open to students and staff of the university, and to the public.[2]
History
It is one of the oldest operating pools in Britain.[2]
Woodcock Street Baths was originally opened in 1860. It was Birmingham's second public baths after the passage of the 1846 Public Baths and Wash-houses Act. In 1902 an additional pool, the First Class Pool, was built. In the 1920s the baths were reconstructed; the 1902 pool was a part that remained from the earlier building.[1][3]
It was taken over by Aston University in 1980. There was further redevelopment in 2011,[4] and in 2013 the sports centre was named after Sir Doug Ellis.[5]
Architecture
The pool retains most of the original features. The long rectangular hall has white tiled walls with blue and brown banding; along the sides are cubicles with terracotta arches. The roof is supported by elliptic girders that are pierced with quatrefoil shapes.[1]
