SAVE ADDS CARLISLE’S TURKISH BATHS TO AT RISK REGISTER DUE TO URGENT RISK

8th December 2022

SAVE has placed Carlisle’s Turkish Baths on its Buildings at Risk Register and written to the Leader of Carlisle City Council to request urgent action to secure the future of this grade II listed building and its beautifully detailed, unusually intact and rare interiors.

The Turkish Baths were, until November 2022, one of only 12 such baths in the country still in operation and the only one in the North West. Conceived at the end of the Victorian era and built in the early Edwardian period, the interior of the Turkish Baths is decorated in a striking oriental style using coloured tiling and glazed faience by Minton Hollins of Stoke, with terrazzo flooring and marble bench tops. In their listing entry, Historic England celebrate the remarkable completeness of the baths and their high quality decoration, noting its rarity. Now the Council, who are also the owners, has closed them pending a decision about their future use. The adjacent modern baths will be demolished following the opening of a new leisure centre elsewhere in Carlisle.

The immediate concern is that the building is empty and disused, with the pools drained, which significantly increases the risk of damage occurring. Disused buildings are more vulnerable to undiagnosed maintenance issues and are more likely to attract vandalism and arson. Remedying any deterioration which is allowed to occur could significantly increase the cost of restoring the baths to use in the future.

In addition, a comprehensive plan is needed to ensure that this jewel of the Victorian and Edwardian age can be brought back into use. Fortunately, a local group have already presented just such a plan. The Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths have outlined an inspiring scheme for preserving the Turkish Baths in use, adding treatment rooms as well as other features. This which could complement other projects in the centre of Carlisle including those relating to the redevelopment of Carlisle’s handsome railway station. The Friends are seeking ownership of the Turkish Baths through a community asset transfer so that they can work towards these goals and seek appropriate funding.

Julie Minns, Chair of the Friends said:

"Carlisle's Victorian and Turkish Baths hold so many memories for so many people, and we have been overwhelmed by the public support for our campaign to save them from closure. We are disappointed that the Council has opted to close them but our priority now is to ensure the building does not deteriorate. We hope that the addition of this Cumbrian gem to SAVE's Buildings at Risk Register and their letter to the Council will add weight to our call for the Council to properly protect the interior of the listed Baths whilst we complete our plans for a community asset transfer and development of the building".

Liz Fuller, Buildings at Risk Officer at SAVE Britain’s Heritage said:

“A gleaming temple to cleanliness and health for over a hundred years, Carlisle’s Turkish Baths have survived in use for so long because they serve a real purpose. A destination in themselves, close to the centre of Carlisle, they urgently need a comprehensive plan in place to ensure their survival.”

SAVE supports the plans outlined by the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths and calls on Carlisle City Council, Cumbria County Council and the future Cumberland Council, which becomes the responsible authority in March 2023, to work with the Friends to secure the future of this exceptional building.

To see the full entry which has been added to our Buildings at Risk Register, click here.

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