Victorian spa 'endangered' - preservation charity

The last remaining Victorian bath house in South Yorkshire has been included in a list of the top 10 most endangered buildings in the UK by a preservation charity.

Birley Spa in Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, opened in 1843 and closed at the outbreak of World War Two.

The building has since fallen into "decades of decline", according to the Victorian Society, although an independent surveyor commissioned by the city council said it was still structurally sound in 2021.

Conservation adviser Tom Ollivier said: "It's a blank slate and would lend itself very well to reuse - and it's an important part of Sheffield heritage."

The spa complex was opened by the second Earl Manvers, Lord of the Manor of Beighton, Charles Herbert Pierrepont.

Its facilities included baths of different size and temperature, and an opening advertisement said it would ease the symptoms of those suffering from conditions such as rheumatism, gout, and lumbago.

It was accessible to all social classes, Mr Ollivier said.

"This is somewhere designed for the higher end of society, but it also had the very practical male and female baths for everyone."

Usage declined in the 1870s, and after its hotel closed in 1878, its marble bath was reportedly removed by either the Earl or his son for private use.

"I quite like the idea that its public benefit only went so far, and at the end of it, he was like, 'Right, I'm having that back'," said Mr Ollivier.

In the 1920s and 30s, the grounds were transformed into a children's pleasure park, and it became a popular destination for families until its permanent closure when the war began.

It was compulsorily purchased by the city's local authority, the Sheffield Corporation, in the 1950s and still belongs to the council.

Community-focused restoration works were completed in 2002 with National Lottery funding, but the Victorian Society said lack of continued council support had led to "renewed disrepair".

Local residents formed the Birley Spa Preservation Trust in 2018 to protect it, with the ambition of reopening it to the public.

In 2022, they secured nearly £100,000 in further National Lottery funding to restore its ponds, pathways, and waterways.

Group member Fiona Milne called it "Schrödinger's oasis".

"For me, it's the most wonderful place on earth, but trying to save it has been the most stressful, soul-destroying thing I've ever been involved with."

She said the council told them it could not afford to maintain the site, but communication over the years had been poor.

Since becoming a registered charity in November, she said they were hoping to secure more financial grants.

She called the spa's ranking by the Victorian Society "absolutely fantastic", because she said it could draw more attention and encourage more people to get involved.

"There's so much potential there, and hopefully we're finally going to get the chance to do something with it, other than having to literally stand by and watch it deteriorate."

The council has been contacted for comment.

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