The History of Sheffield Swimming Pools - Major help needed!

[Pauls-Stuff 10]

I am researching the swimming pools in sheffield from 1879 to the present day for part of a project going towards my A-Level in Geography. I have been down to the local studies libary and got quite a bit of info from there but now i'm stuck and pleading for help!

 

If you can provide any of the missing info in the list of swimming pools below I would be VERY greatful! Thank-you!

 

Attercliffe: 1879 - 1981

Corporation Street: 1879 - 1962

Upperthorpe: 1896 - present

Glossop Road 1st: 1896 - 1991

Glossop Road Ladies: 1898 - 1991

Brightside: 1899 - 1964

Park: 1899 - 1989

Heeley: 1909 - present

Rivelin Valley: 1909 - 1939

Glossop Road Mens: 1912 - 1991

Hillsborough: 1929 - 1991

Sutherland Road: 1964 - ???

Chappel Town: 1950s/60s - present

Concord: ??? - ???

Graves: 1991 - present (1962 - present ~ rowlingson baths)

Hillsborough Leisure Center: 1991 - present

King Edwards: 1936 - present

Ponds Forge: 1991 - present

Springs: 1950s/60s - ???

Stocksbridge: 1970 - present (sports centre added in 1972)

West Field: ??? - ???

Woodthorpe: 1938 - present

Sheaf Valley: 1972 - 1991

 

Thanks,

 

-Paul-

[Jayne 10]

Heeley, Upperthorpe (I think) and King Edwards are all still going - that info shouldn't be too hard to find. King Edwards has a website - try googling it

[Pauls-Stuff 10]

Ahh ok cheers Jayne, i'll go check that out. Im not originaly from Sheffield so i'm not to sure of my history!

 

-Paul-

[Plain Talker 11]

Paul,

 

the corporation street baths are ones I have never heard of, I'm afraid, but, what I can tell you is, most definitely they are'nt the "West Street" baths, as those were called Glossop Road Baths, and are now a whetherspoons chain pub.

 

the baths were famous for their turkish baths.

 

they had two actual swimming pools, the cavendish and the... er... oh, drat I can't remember that pools name.. it was associated with the street names around that area, though, IIRC.

 

Way back when, many years ago, they used to hold dances at the baths. the pool was covered over with a dance floor, and fok could dance the night away.

 

the baths closed about 10 yrs or so ago, when the ponds forge baths opened.

 

the heeley baths are still open, on Broadfield Road, and they now incorporate a community centre called" Eveyone's Centre". I learnt to swim there,

 

Springs was originally called "hurlfield" after the school that the sports centre was housed in. It was a very small pool. only about 20 metres in length.. you could not swim a full 25 yards/ metres length in it. It still exists. it was built in the late 50's / early 60's IIRC.

 

Woodthorpe baths was built some time after the Woodthorpe school was built (school built in mid 30's) and was shut down, again about 10/11 years ago (possibly more, about 1990?) I only went there once in about 1989. it was a bit dingy.

 

Are you researching the outdoor pools, too? Because there was Millhouses Lido, which was fantastic fun on a blazing summer day with its two pools a baby/toddler shallower pool (about 18 inches in depth, and the adult pool which was a lot deeper. the water was bloomin' cold! It was such a shame that the Lido closed down. The paddling pools over the other side of the park, by the river sheaf just weren't the same

 

there was also Longley open-air pool, in Longley park. I only went there once as we lived the Millhouses side of town. someone in another thread mentioned the murky water.. .that's my memory of it, from 1982. I have to admit i sneaked in for a swim, with a gang of friends, one red-hot summer evening. I dread to think what could have happened if one of us had gotten into difficulty. it was shut down and demolished not that long after.

 

Sheaf valley, IIRC was built in about 1972/3.

 

HTH

 

PT

[Pauls-Stuff 10]

Cheers PT, I've up-dated the dates

 

-Paul-

[little malc 10]

Thr old Glossop Rd swimming baths, which are now part of Weatherspoons, are having the historic Turkish baths restored in thier original glory, Weatherspoons are financing this as a feature, nice to see someone actually having an interest in our history in a practical way.

[fuzbuz 10]

Stocksbridge baths are still open!!

[fuzbuz 10]

so is chappletown but not sure of what dates these were opened

[Classic Rock 10]

Sheaf used to be where the National Express coaches pull up at the bus station. It used to be situated right next to the main road.

[Tony 10]

Chapeltown Baths is still going strong. Built I guess in the 50's / 60's at the same time as the new council houses and flats behind them. The 3 tower blocks are long gone, demolished in the very early 1990's I think.

[Ned Ludd 10]

Rowlinson School, Dyche Lane and now part of Norton College opened a pool in the early 70's. Don't know if it is still open.

 

There was an outdoor pool in Encliffe Park around 1920 and long since filled in. This had formerly been a mill dam and the site obvious by it's complete flatness at the bottom of a steep bank. There are 3 large ornamental cherry/almond trees standing in what would have been the middle of the pool.

[JDee 10]

Here is a photo of Corporation Street Baths from the 1960s.

 

Corporation Steet Baths