Title: |
Watford Central Baths, Hempstead Road, Watford, Hertfordshire. Historic Building Record and Archaeological Monitoring Report |
Series: |
Heritage Network unpublished report series
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Downloads: |
heritage1-43287_1.pdf (18 MB)
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Download
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Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
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DOI |
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Publication Type: |
Report (in Series)
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Abstract: |
Watford Central Baths (1931 - 33) was part of a planned new Civic Centre that included the Library (1928) and the Town Hall (1937 - 9). The baths remained open for 73 years, closing in December 2006. During this time, its original plan had been altered to accommodate new changing facilities; the original wooden cubicles were removed along each side of the pool hall, and two new brick extensions (annexes) were added. These linked the former slipper bath annexes at the southern end of the building with the lavatory cross ranges and the lavatories within the U-shaped range that wraps around the north end of the building. These extensions are likely to date to the 1960s and accompany the blocking of a number of earlier window openings and doorways. A ramped entrance at the rear of the building replaces an earlier window to the former laundry. Later alteration, around 1965, added an upper storey to the front central range. No doubt, at this time, the newly screened end wall of the pool had the central round-headed Diocletian window simplified, and four new side windows cut through. The 1940s Report and Control Centre was purpose built as a communications centre to coordinate the emergency services during air-raids, and it remains largely intact, except for the communications equipment itself. The monitoring of the groundworks for the new development revealed no archaeological features, deposits, or artefacts predating the modern period. |
Author: |
A Gibson
David Hillelson
S Wilcox
M Winter
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Publisher: |
Heritage Network
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Other Person/Org: |
Historic England (OASIS Reviewer)
Hertfordshire HER (OASIS Reviewer)
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Year of Publication: |
2011
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Locations: |
Site: |
Watford Central Baths, Hempstead Road |
County: |
Herefordshire |
District: |
Watford |
Parish: |
WATFORD |
Country: |
England |
Grid Reference: 510550, 196860 (Easting, Northing)
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Subjects / Periods: |
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Identifiers: |
OASIS Id: |
heritage1-43287 |
OBIB: |
Report no.508 |
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Note: |
A4 booklet, comb bound, green cover, 24 pages, 8 figures, 40 photographic plates
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Source: |
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Relations: |
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Created Date: |
01 Feb 2018 |