Entrance facade of former bath house

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Rebuilt and relocated front façade of a former bath house, which now acts as the gate screen to an outdoor swimming complex. The former bath house itself was built in c.1834, probably to designs by Thomas Duff, but was demolished in c.1985 (following bomb damage). The swimming complex itself is located on the E side of Central Promenade, overlooking the shore.

The gate screen itself consists of two small single storey rectangular end ‘blocks’ (or wings) with a colonnade between. The front (W) façade of the blocks is in granite ashlar and appears to have be a faithful rebuilding of the former bath house façade, each block having a single centrally located window with panel beneath. The colonnade (which originally fronted a portico) also appears to be a faithful rebuild, having six Doric columns supporting a parapet, however, the parapet has PVC lettering attached and modern railings and gates span between the columns.

Large portions of the N and S facades of both end blocks are also in granite ashlar with a single window (as before) to the S façade of the S block and the N façade of the N block. These facades also appear to be faithful rebuilds, but beyond this (to the E, where the blocks link to what appear to be changing room facilities) is modern build. The sheeted hipped roofs which cap the blocks are also modern (the original roofs were slated).

The original bath house was described in the first survey of February 1971 as a ‘single storey building with basement storey exposed to the sea. The façade is constructed in ashlar granite rising to a square cornice and small parapet. Entrances surmounted by six pane fanlights are contained with a Doric hexastyle in antis portico [the colonnade-see above] flanked either side by square projections [the present end ‘blocks’-see above], one window in front. The main face of the building then continues for a further long bay each side. Plain trabeated window dressings are of granite. Windows have full glazing, some margined and sashed, some casement. Rear and sides are rendered with granite dressings, two shallow projections at rear correspond to longer projections on façade’.

Historical information

The former bath house to which this façade originally belonged was built c.1834 as part of the 3rd Earl Annesley’s attempts to develop Newcastle as a watering place. It was designed by Thomas Duff and was positioned next to ‘The Annesley Arms’ hotel, built shortly prior to this as the centrepiece of the Earl’s abovementioned development. In an advertisement of April 1839 the building is described as ‘a splendid suite of baths alike distinguished for their architectural beauty and interior neatness’. In a further advertisement of May 1842, Mr William McCoubry, the bath superintendent, and his staff hoped that ‘by a strict attention to the comfort and convenience of persons using the baths, they will merit a continuance of the distinguished support with which they have hitherto been honoured; a fresh supply of the strongest salt water is obtained with every tide’. Reassuringly for prospective upper class patrons, the advertisement also noted the provision of separate bathing facilities for the ‘trades and working classes’.

The bath house continued in operation into the early 1900s. When they closed in [?]c.1930, the building was taken over by Newcastle Urban District Council for use as offices. The offices were abandoned during the early 1970s and by the 1980s bomb damage had largely left the building a ruin. It was demolished in c.1985, however, the material constituting the front façade and portico colonnade was salvaged and reassembled to front the ‘Tropicana’ swimming complex, itself built on the site of the former bath house.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI D.1503 Annesley Papers.
2 PRONI VAL/1B/362 p.13 First valuation, Kilcoo, c.1834-1838.
3 PRONI VAL/1D/3/10 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1838.
4 PRONI OS/6/3/49/2 OS map, first rev., Co. Down 49.
5 PRONI Second (‘Griffith’s) valuation, Kilcoo, 1863.
6 PRONI VAL/12E/111/1 Valuation town plan of Newcastle, 1864-1906.
7 PRONI and Linen Hall Library ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ Vols.1-21, 1852-1900, (Belfast, Henderson [1852-65], Belfast News-Letter [1865- ]).
8 George Henry Bassett ‘County Down Guide and Directory’ (Dublin 1886), pp.161-165.
9 PRONI OS/8/136/1-4 OS plans of Newcastle, 1901.

Secondary sources
1 P.J. Rankin, 'Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Areas of Architectural Importance in the Mourne Area of South Down', (Belfast UAHS 1975), pp.70, 72.
2 Grenfell Morton ‘Victorian and Edwardian Newcastle’ (Belfast 1988). [This book includes late 19th and early 20th century photographs the former bath house, mainly from the Laurence Collection held at PRONI. The book also includes
references for the newspaper adverts quoted above.]

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Rebuilt and relocated front façade of a former bath house, which now acts as the gate screen to an outdoor swimming complex. The former bath house itself was built in c.1834, probably to designs by Thomas Duff, but was demolished in c.1985. The façade itself is in granite ashlar and consists of two single storey end ‘blocks’ with a colonnade between, but has been modified with addition of modern gates / railings between the columns. No longer fulfils the criteria to be considered as a listed building.