Woodcock Street Baths

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]

Woodcock Street Baths
General information
Status	Grade II listed
Architectural style	Edwardian
Location	Birmingham grid reference SP 078 876
Country	United Kingdom
Coordinates	52°29′9.1″N 1°53′12.5″W
Completed	1902
Website
www2.aston.ac.uk/sport/gym-and-swimming/swimming

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]