Camberwell Public Baths
| Camberwell Public Baths | |
|---|---|
The Baths in 2005
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| Coordinates: 51°28′28″N 0°05′26″W / 51.47435°N 0.09056°W | |
| Address | Camberwell Leisure Centre, Artichoke Place, off Camberwell Church Street |
| Postcode | SE5 8TS |
| Opened | 1 October 1892 |
| Operator | Everyone Active |
| Architect | Spalding & Cross |
| Status | Grade II listed (1993) |
| Website | Official website |
| Facilities | |
| Exercise studio, swimming pool, gym | |
Camberwell Public Baths (also Camberwell Baths and recently Camberwell Leisure Centre) opened in 1892 and has been in continuous operation as publicly funded community baths and more recently as a public leisure centre.
Originally the Camberwell Public Baths, the building is now known as the Camberwell Leisure Centre. The facilities include a gym and swimming pool. The baths are managed by Everyone Active in partnership with Southwark Council. As well as swimming sessions, the centre offers swimming classes, badminton, personal training in the gym and caters for children's parties.
One of the original two pools is boarded over and is now used as a sports hall. The remaining pool has been converted into two pools, the main pool which is 25 metres long and a shallow pool which is 10 metres wide and is used mainly for teaching lessons. The pool has male and female changing rooms as well as a dedicated family changing room.
The baths have undergone extensive refurbishment and reopened in early 2011. The Flemish Renaissance style are Grade II listed.
Currently the leisure centre is open between 06:30 and 22:00 on weekdays, 07:00 and 18:00 on Saturdays and 07:00 and 22:00 on Sundays. The swimming pool and gym is free to use for residents of Southwark Council all day on Fridays and after 14:00 on weekends as part of their free gym and swim initiative across the borough.
Friends of Camberwell Baths was formed in 1998 to defend against closure. From May 2006 until October the Council planned that the Baths would receive £5m to £6m for full refurbishment. In January 2007 the Council had decided to "provide up to £1.5 million capital funding to ensure that the Centre stays open with its current facilities."
Funding of £1.45 million was confirmed on 31 March 2009 for improving the centre with the total refurbishment budget from all sources amounting to £4.7 million. Additional funds came from the Southwark Investing in Leisure programme of more than £2 million and the Youth Capital Fund allocated £576,000 in May 2009 for a council managed youth programme within the site. The building was closed from Wednesday 25 November 2009.
The pool and learner pool reopened on 28 February 2011 with an opening event in Artichoke Place on Saturday 12 March 2011. The entrance, reception and café area have been renovated and include wheelchair access.
Renovations include:
The gym is currently undergoing refurbishment and shall reopen as a larger capacity gym later in 2016.
Seven Commissioners were charged in 1887 by the Vestry of Camberwell with the task of establishing three Public Baths and Wash-houses in the Parish of Camberwell, one in each of the parliamentary divisions of North Camberwell, Peckham and Dulwich. Dulwich Public Baths had been opened on Saturday 25 June 1891. In 1903, Warm Baths would open on Wells Street, closely followed in 1905 by the Old Kent Road Swimming and Warm Baths and Wash-houses, with its own Turkish Baths.
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Wikipedia