Name: Fore Street Pool Location: Ipswich Current status: Open Date built: 1894 Architect: T W Cotman Listed building status: n/a Lead organisation: Ipswich Borough Council
Description
The land on which Fore Street Pool was built was donated by Felix Thornley Cobbold, a prominent local businessman and vice president of the swimming club. He also gave a sum of £1,200, with the agreement that the council would fund the rest. The council eventually agreed and as a result Fore Street Baths, as it was then known, was built by T Parkington & Sons to the design of architect T W Cotman at a total cost of £4,300.
The building consisted of 12 Slipper baths and a swimming pool 70 ft x 22 ft, 4 ft deep at the shallow end and 7 ft at the deep end. Around the sides of the bath were 33 dressing boxes and a balcony above.
Facilities
The building currently consists of the original swimming pool with changing rooms around the poolside, fully functional plant room and a club room. There are two further changing rooms upstairs with a small office.
Notable features
Classic Victorian pool design and building facade.
Current plans
The pool is well loved and used by the residents of Ipswich and continues to operate daily from 7.00am to 10.00pm offering fitness swimming to the public, lessons to school children and private club bookings. The pool was built in 1894 and over the years has only ever shut for national emergencies and refurbishment. The future of the pool looks stable and is included in Ipswich Borough Council’s Sports Facilities Strategy 2022-2030 with the inclusion of updating the plant to new greener technology.
