Poplar Baths

Poplar Baths on the East India Dock Road in Poplar, London is a former public bath house and Grade II listed building that was constructed in 1933 and closed to the public in 1988. The Baths are adjacent to All Saints DLR station. A campaign to restore the baths won the support of Tower Hamlets Council in 2010 and the construction company Guildmore was appointed to complete the works to create a new leisure centre incorporating a swimming pool, gymnasium and affordable housing on adjacent land. The site reopened in July 2016.HistoryThe original Poplar Baths opened in 1852, costing £10,000. It was built to provide public wash facilities for the East End's poor as a result of the Baths and Washhouses Act 1846. The baths incorporated slipper and vapour baths. The slipper baths section contained 12 baths in the men's first-class division, 24 in the men's second-class and six in both women's divisions. Steam and shower baths were located behind the slipper baths. A comprehensive public laundry was located at the rear of the building, on Arthur Street. It contained 48 wooden washing tubs, drying equipment and ironing rooms. An uncovered water tank supplied the baths and was erected above the boiler house with a capacity of 24,000 gallons.The Baths were rebuilt in 1933 to a design by Harley Heckford and the larger pool was covered over to convert the building into a theatre. Designated the East India Hall, it had seating capacity for 1,400 people and incorporated a dance hall, cinema, exhibition room and sports hall for boxing and wrestling programmes. This dual purpose sustained interest over the winter months, with the smaller pool remaining in use.