Built in the thirties, in a concrete and brick art deco style, Twickenham Baths was municipal architecture in the grand sense with its wide hall, twin staircase and deep arches.

It occupied the site of Richmond House, which was demolished in the 1920s, when the area, purchased by Twickenham Council, was made over for use by the people for the purposes of leisure and walking.

The pool itself was an old-fashioned Lido, the last word in leisure, generously proportioned and with ample room for sunbathing on the paved areas. There were fountains at each end of the pool and a diving board at its deepest point, in the middle. At one stage of its life, it boasted a spacious canteen with a sweeping corner bay window leading on to a terrace with pool views.

Little remains now of its past grandeur. A despised building - few have anything good to say about it - its frontage is criticised for cutting the river off from the area behind. The architect's name remains unknown - there is no record in the old Twickenham Council minutes, though arrangements for the pool's opening, with a fanfare and a schools gala, are well minuted.

Today, after 20 years of neglect, the building and the pool present a sorry sight. The concrete basin itself has been smashed; the changing rooms are trashed; there is graffiti everywhere; the facade is boarded up and the windows broken.

Only the torch-style art deco light fittings which flank the entrance endure as a small testament to the council's and the architect's initial vision.

See also:
What the people said in 2001 - Riverside Views
Community Leader criticises proposals and consultation

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