The Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths marked the 112th anniversary of the opening of the city’s Turkish Baths with six special birthday wishes to local councillors.
The Grade II listed Turkish Baths opened on the 20 September 1909, but face an uncertain future following a decision by city councillors to build new swimming pools at The Sands Centre.
Built as an integral part of Carlisle’s Victorian Public Baths, the Turkish Baths are the only part of the original building that will remain in use when the new pools open in 2022.
Campaigners want to develop the public baths on James Street as a flagship Health and Wellbeing Centre.
Emma Desborough-Hartley, of the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths, said: “The idea for public baths came as a direct result of the 1832 cholera outbreak.
“Councils up and down the country built them to support the health and wellbeing of local people. Given our experience of COVID-19 over the past 18 months, it’s more important than ever that we invest in and develop these facilities.
The Turkish Baths have been supporting the health and wellbeing of local people and visitors for six generations. By granting these six birthday wishes city councillors would be supporting future generations too.”
The Friends Group also believe developing the baths would boost tourism.
Improvements to Carlisle Railway Station – part of the £452 million Borderlands Growth Deal – include the opening of a new station entrance facing the rear of the public baths.
Visitors could be relaxing in Victorian splendour within minutes of stepping off their train.
At a meeting of Carlisle City Council in July, the Conservative Group amended a motion that sought to ensure the Victorian Public Baths would remain open alongside the Turkish Baths. Campaigners believe it is very unlikely that the Turkish Baths – one of only 12 remaining in the UK – will be viable if left to operate alone.
The six birthday wishes to Carlisle City Councillors are:
- They’d love everyone to be able to see them as they were in their heyday. No wood panelling covering tiled walls, a shampoo room without a sauna in it, the return of their beloved Russian Bath, the largest hot room restored to full size, and its terrazzo floor exposed again – all in time to shine in the City of Culture 2025
- They’ve been happily partnered with the 1884 Public Baths for over a century. Please don’t let a hotel come between them now, they don’t think they can survive alone. They’re also very fond of their former electrical and now enterprising neighbour across the road, and think the riverside and the view out to the fells from those Art Deco windows could really wow a hotel developer
- The 1970s weren’t very kind to their Public Baths partner, and the Turkish Baths dream of seeing their Victorian other half upgraded to a flagship Health and Wellbeing centre, as befits a WHO Healthy City
- The view. It’s been quite a century of transport evolution, but they’re tired of only having a road and a carpark to look at. They would love to have a new park to look out on once the 1974 pool is demolished, maybe with some water features as a nod to Water Street
- A lot of visitors to the Turkish Baths grumble about the viaduct subway. But being fond of an Edwardian ornate decorative detail the Baths are rather taken with London’s Leake Street Arches and wondered if you could look into doing something similar with the subway
- They’re really excited about the new Station Gateway and think this would be the right time to create a new entrance for them and the Public Baths facing the Viaduct wall. Maybe with a gift shop and a restaurant and bar to entice more visitors to the City and boost the nighttime economy
