The brand new south-eastern place from Clerkenwell Street and superior site for international students St john Highway is filled of the a later part of the-1870s speculative creativity to start with adding shower enclosures to possess swimming and baths, and additionally houses and you can storage (Ills 558, 579). The newest ‘Central Bath’ institution was small-lived, hence area of the strengthening are after that adapted because an electroplating works.
The newest buildings, experienced in white-brick that have brick and you can molded-stone dressings, was crafted by Robert Walker, area surveyor to have St Martin-in-the-Sphere, and you can centered of the J. J. Bennett & Co. for the 1877–8. (fn. 30) The principal designer appears to have been Alfred Bompas, guy, of Barnsbury, just who removed the site to your Urban Board regarding Really works when you look at the 1876, took the new lease of the done buildings when you look at the 1878, and you may tried to find the freehold for the 1879. (fn. 31) Yet not, a released membership of your the latest structures says-since if the condition were available to question-that the works was basically carried out ‘under the non-public direction’ out of Bennett & Co., ‘who would be the originators and people who own the baths’. (fn. 32) Bompas wasn’t, predicated on their referees, in a position to finance new undertaking on his own account, with his experience of Bennetts is not known. (fn. 33)
The organization contained half a dozen property, five with sites, and the diving-pond and you can baths about, featuring its entrance on No. 104 St john Street. On the access (and that retains its class lighting fixtures, although not the initial ornamental iron cresting), an extensive corridor resulted in this new swimming-pool. Included in a cup rooftop, so it mentioned from the 90ft of the 30ft, with a great 7ft deep-stop. The latest pool are light-tiled and had a pretty dolphin’s head water fountain similarly. Varied over the poolside was indeed dressing-boxes and you may ‘other conveniences’, and you will above have been art galleries towards the several account for every with fourteen individual baths for males and girls correspondingly. An effective demountable floors acceptance this new pool for usage to own conferences during the winter, swimming-actually inside-getting plainly nonetheless a seasonal recreation. (fn. 34)
The baths closed-in 1896, and you can out of next until the 1970s have been occupied of the Age. C. Furby & Sons, electroplaters and you may enamellers of bike parts, the outdated slipper showers offering cure for plating showers. (fn. 35) Furby’s premises was basically advertised lost of the flames for the 1919. (fn. 36) Nothing of the brand spanking new pond and you will shower enclosures endures now.
No. twenty seven
Which quick factory and you can workshop (Unwell. 550) are erected in 1879 to have William and Francis Hudden, tin-dish workers and you may technology merchants of St John’s Way, whoever organization went on so you can exchange indeed there before the late 1950s. The new architects was basically Samuel Parr and Alfred Pope Strong off Finsbury Square, the fresh creator John Grover of brand new North Road. (fn. 37)
No. 31
The original strengthening, a cycle facility out-of c. 1888, was filled from 1906 of the shopfitters E. Pollard & Co. It was reconstructed for Pollards from inside the 1919–20 since their ‘City’ showrooms; today’s granite and you will timber shopfront is later and you can is most likely added because of the corporation from the 1930s. (fn. 38)
Pennybank Compartments
This corner block, spanning Nos 31–33 Clerkenwell Highway and you may 33–thirty five St John’s Square, is actually erected for the 1879–80 by National Penny Lender Co. Ltd and considering shop and you can artisans’ dwellings, also a department to the financial (Ill. 559). It absolutely was crafted by the architects Charles Henman and you can William Harrison, and you will depending by Aitchison & Walker of St John’s Timber. The foundation stone try put in-may 1879 by the HRH Princess Religious of SchleswigHolstein (who received an excellent commemorative trowel, inlaid which have silver pennies and the shape out-of a good workman having a bank publication, demonstrating ‘the fuel of one’s penny’). (fn. 39)