Westbury Swimming Pool
Westbury Swimming Pool is a 19th-century indoor swimming pool in Westbury, Wiltshire, England. The structure is a Grade II listed building.
History
[edit]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
[edit]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 West Wiltshire was superseded by Wiltshire Council in 2009.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[update]) Wiltshire Council funds the operation and maintenance of the pool alongside its other leisure services.[8]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Historic England. "Swimming Baths, Westbury (1395727)". National Heritage List for England.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Historic England. "The Laverton Institute (1180367)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ "Westbury House" (PDF). Wiltshire OPC Project. 2019. p. 3. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ "Campaign to save Victorian pool". 5 March 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ "Victorian pool heritage revitalised for new Westbury era". Wiltshire Times. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
- ^ "Westbury Public Baths, registered charity no. 270324". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
- ^ "Westbury Public Baths: Annual Report of the Trustees" (PDF). Wiltshire Council. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2024.