Four years ago I visited these baths when they were still owned and managed by the local council the manager at the time agreed to let me have a look at the old pool for a while.
This time around; I am now so pleased to be able to tell you that the volunteers themselves run this building ! What a lovely bunch of people giving their time to not only keep the one pool open for public swim but to try and save what’s already in many places a decayed yet beautiful space!
Its very clear that there’s a lot of enthusiasm and passion in regards to keeping this place open as an important part of community like it was first intended for! I hope they are able to carry out the restoration process and everything else’s that is need and I look forward to returning in another a few years to see their progress!
Do you have any time, money or experience?
links at the bottom of the page to how you yourself can contribute towards a worthy cause!
Stitched Panorama
Swimming Baths
Moseley Road Baths were used as a makeshift hospital in the early years of World War II. An additional entrance was created to facilitate this purpose, which was subsequently used as an emergency exit from Pool 2. By the end of 2010 a steel beam used to support the wall and roof above it had become severely corroded, leading to the pool’s closure as this part of the building was in danger of collapse.
Today, the library remains a functioning branch of Birmingham Library Services. The baths, also run by Birmingham City Council, reopened following extensive structural work during 2005. They stand opposite the College of Art and were given Grade II listed status as a single entity in 1982, upgraded to Grade II* listed status in 2004 by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
In November 2006 a ‘Friends of Moseley Road Baths’ group was formed to campaign for the long-term future of the building as a fully functioning swimming facility. Since their formation various community events and fundraisers have been held, including the Centenary celebration on 30 October 2007 which was attended by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and swimmers past and present. In 2010 the Friends’ were awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Your Heritage’ grant of £48,000 to document the building’s history and to interview former and current users of the building. Some aspects of the project are now online.
