South Bay Pool Scarborough page 4
South Bay Pool Scarborough - The Changing Rooms
The changing rooms, built in a neo-classical style, were part of the original design and were opened in 1916. Additional buildings were constructed during the 20's and 30's, including a cafe, kitchen, plant rooms, office and multiple beach huts. The start of The First World War had caused the construction of the complex to be simplified, with the cafe and beach huts not being constructed until the war had finished. The changing rooms changed relitively little throughout the pool's history however, maintaining their original character until the end.
Not all swimmers used the changing rooms, especially in the later period, partly because they were old fashioned and in shabby condition. Richard Beaumont, a frequent visitor in the 60's and 70's said 'The changing rooms were unsavory and rarely used by locals- one arrived already in one's cossy'. It is evident that, at least to some extent, the state of decay that existed in the late 1990's long pre-dated the pool's closure.
Pic 3;1. What for me is the defining impression of the South Bay Pool Scarborough - The classical facade of the womens changing rooms, shown here in 1997. The changing rooms were built as one long block, with the women's section on the right hand side and men's at the left. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;2, The Womens changing rooms in 1998. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3:2b The womens changing rooms during the 1920's with the cafe above. (D Stuart Collection)
Pic 3;3 Looking down along the womens changing rooms with the pool on the left, 1997. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;4. The other end of the changing room block, showing the mens section, with the wire surrounding the pool on the right. The building had originally been symmetrical - The colonnade had been extended and the brick extension on the left was built in 1934 to house the chlorination machinery. One of the pool's gates can be seen on the right, behind the wire fencing erected after the pool's closure. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;5. A view of the pool's buildings, looking across the pool, 1999. In the immediate foreground is the outer wall of the pool. This shot gives an idea of the general layout of the building, with the men's changing rooms at left, the women's at right, and a small courtyard area with toilets and showers in the centre. Above this, centre, is the cafe, and to its right, the kitchen. Above these, with coloured doors, are beach huts. The left hand wing of the beach hut block is missing, having presumably been torn down some years previously. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;6. The pool during the 1920's. The beach huts at the top are still under construction, with the right hand wing of the block not yet in place. The kitchen block next to the cafe is also not yet constructed. (D Stuart Collection)
Pic 3;7. A view of the changing room complex across the pool. Clearly seen here is the entrance to the tunnel connecting the pool to the changing rooms. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;8. A very similar view is shown in this early postcard showing the pool's changing rooms, c.1918. This shows the original 1915 changing room complex before 1920's and 30's additions. Most notably, there is no cafe (or kitchen block next to it) on top of the changing rooms. The building at the right of the picture is shorter, (see pictures 5;6-5;7) and does not yet have the beach huts on top. (D Stuart Collection)
Pic 3;9. An overview of the site in 2000. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;10. The Pool in around 1916. The First World War is well underway, and a group of soldiers can be seen (wearing flat-topped peaked caps) bottom, centre. At this early stage, the cafe is not constructed, nor are the beach huts at the top left of the site. The pool's outer-most walls and terraced seating on the landward side are not yet built. The changing room block is still symmetrical, as the plant rooms would not be added to the far end of the changing rooms until 1934. The entrance to the secondary women's tunnel can be seen in the right hand side of the pool's wall. (D Stuart Collection)
Pic 3;11. Two views of the pool and changing rooms in 1998. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;12. The pool cafe and beach huts above were accessed by two staircases, facing each other on either side of a small inset courtyard, which contained the main entrances to the men's and women's changing rooms and toilets. The door at the far left led into the first aid room, and the door behind the pillar was for the ladies toilets for spectators. Seen here is a photo collage of pictures taken 1998-2000. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;13. This view is looking down from the left- hand staircase into the courtyard area, in 1997. At the foot of the steps can be seen the two skylights providing light to the underground tunnels. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;14. The left hand staircase in 1997. This staircase is directly above the stairs to the men's underground tunnel. On the right hand side, behind the pillar, can be seen the main entrance to the men's changing rooms. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;15. Members of the Aqua Ballet on the left-hand staircase, c.1953. Dawn Checkley is (left) front middle, and left, middle. (Picture courtesy Mandy Harrow)
Pic 3;16. The right hand steps, with doors to the women's toilets and changing rooms visible behind the pillars. (D Stuart Photography)
Pic 3;17. One of the changing room's distinctive windows, in this case on the men's side. (D Stuart Photography)
Above, my videos of the changing rooms in May 2000. By this time the courtyard area had been fenced off with wire mesh in an attempt to stop people gaining access and also vandalising the site. There is no sound on this video.
Up Next; Inside the changing rooms
