The latest south-eastern spot of Clerkenwell Highway and you may St-john Roadway is occupied by the a late-1870s speculative advancement to start with adding baths having diving and you will bathing, in addition to house and you can shop (Ills 558, 579). The fresh new ‘Central Bath’ place was brief-lived, and this the main building is actually then adapted due to the fact an enthusiastic electroplating performs.
Brand new structures, encountered within the white-brick having brick and you can molded-brick dressings, was basically designed by Robert Walker, district surveyor having St Martin-in-the-Areas, and founded from the J. J. Bennett & Co. into the 1877–8. (fn. 30) The main designer has been Alfred Bompas, guy, off Barnsbury, which removed the site toward Urban Panel off Functions into the 1876, took new book of your own completed houses inside the 1878, and you will attempted to buy the tenure for the 1879. (fn. 31) But not, a released membership of the fresh new buildings states-since if the problem was basically available to matter-that the functions were carried out ‘under the private direction’ out of Bennett & Co., ‘who is the originators and you will owners of the fresh baths’. (fn. 32) Bompas was not, predicated on their referees, able to funds brand new undertaking on his own account, along with his relationship with Bennetts isn’t recognized. (fn. 33)
The development contained half dozen house, five that have storage, and swimming-pool and you can baths about, using its entry within No. 104 St-john Street. Regarding entrances (and this retains its bracket lighting fixtures, even in the event not the original decorative iron cresting), an extensive corridor resulted in brand new swimming-pool. Included in a windows rooftop, it mentioned regarding 90ft because of the 30ft, which have good 7ft deep-avoid. The brand new pond is actually white-tiled together with an attractive dolphin’s head water fountain on one 
hand. Varied across the poolside were dressing-packages and you can ‘other conveniences’, and you will a lot more than was art galleries into a few accounts for every having 14 personal showers for men and ladies correspondingly. Good demountable floor anticipate the new pool for usage to have conferences during the cold winter, swimming-actually indoors-are plainly still a seasonal recreation. (fn. 34)
The shower curtains closed in 1896, and out of then before 1970s was indeed occupied from the Age. C. Furby & Sons, electroplaters and you will enamellers away from bike bits, the old slipper showers offering solution to plating shower curtains. (fn. 35) Furby’s site were stated missing by the flame inside the 1919. (fn. 36) Absolutely nothing of one’s unique pool and baths survives now.
No. 27
So it short factory and workshop (Unwell. 550) is actually erected within the 1879 to have William and you will Francis Hudden, tin-dish professionals and knowledge resellers away from St John’s Lane, whose company proceeded to exchange around until the later 1950s. New architects was in fact Samuel Parr and you may Alfred Pope Solid out-of Finsbury Square, the newest creator John Grover of brand new North Highway. (fn. 37)
No. 31
The original building, a bike warehouse out-of c. 1888, is actually occupied away from 1906 because of the shopfitters Elizabeth. Pollard & Co. It had been remodeled for Pollards when you look at the 1919–20 as their ‘City’ showrooms; the current stone and you may timber shopfront are later and you will is most likely added because of the company regarding 1930s. (fn. 38)
Pennybank Chambers
It area block, spanning Nos 29–33 Clerkenwell Road and you can 33–thirty-five St John’s Rectangular, is erected for the 1879–80 by Federal Penny Bank Co. Ltd and you will offered shop and you can artisans’ dwellings, as well as a part towards the bank (Unwell. 559). It absolutely was crafted by the brand new architects Charles Henman and you will William Harrison, and you can oriented of the Aitchison & Walker regarding St John’s Wood. The origin brick are put in-may 1879 by HRH Little princess Religious out-of SchleswigHolstein (just who received a beneficial commemorative trowel, inlaid with silver cents and profile off an excellent workman which have a lender publication, illustrating ‘the electricity of one’s penny’). (fn. 39)
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