The opening of a new swimming baths for Richmond came at a time when it was considered that the equipment, structure and machinery of the Parkshot Baths (Constructed 1891 and located nearby), which had reached the end of its life and required replacement facilities to cater for the growing needs of the population.
Spurred on by local support and a referendum held in 1959, the Borough Council went about developing a pool which would not only have the most modern facilities in order to cater for the community, but reflect the important position which the landscape plays in the building with the building situated in the Old Deer Park, a valued open space and park and garden.
A Richmond Baths Committee was formed which was made up of Councillors and Officers and set about looking at other examples from around Europe and took a team of people which consisted of Cllr Alcock, Chair of the Richmond Baths Sub-committee; the deputy Town Clerk; the Borough Engineer; the Borough Treasurer; the Baths Superintendent; an Architect and his assistant on a trip to Holland to meet with Dr. J. A. C. Bierenbroodspot, Director of bathing places in Holland in order to discuss a new Swimming Baths for Richmond.
The designs of the Baths were changed as a result of this trip to Holland, with one of the main considerations being the catering for the disabled population, which was seen as quite forward thinking at the time. It is for this reason that the centre was originally designed with all publicly accessible rooms and infrastructure situated at ground level, with the entire ground floor being a level surface.
A year after the opening, the RPB was awarded a Civic Trust award for the exemplary design and how the
building seamlessly integrated with the surrounding landscape.
The building was to cater for the community until the 1990’s when issues arose regarding the building’s structural integrity and the need to provide further facilities such as health and fitness to not only make the centre more viable, but to support its increased running costs. A public consultation was held to decide on four options, each option resulting in the removal of the Waterslide Park, called ‘the flumes’.
Richmond Baths closed for 9 months to undergo £2.4 million refurbishment, with a partnership with Whitewater PLC.
The scheme did not include any major extensions, but rather altered the entire internal layout of the building, including the use of the first floor for public access for the first time; the removal of the spiral staircase and substantial alteration to the large atrium to the entrance hall with a mezzanine, the relocation of the changing room area, the conversion of this area to a café, and the incorporation of ancillary fitness to make the building into more of a leisure centre with weight rooms and fitness studios.
In January 1996, Richmond Baths were listed as Grade II by English Heritage as a building of national architectural and historic importance.
The pools were last refurbished in 2004 when the pool areas were restored and re-tiled.
| Name | Richmond Baths aka Pools on the Park Old Deer Park, Twickenham Road, LB Richmond, TW9 2SF, England |
| Built / opened | 25th June 1966 by the Right Honourable Lord Hill of Luton |
| Cost | £227,000 |
| Dimensions | 110′ x 42′ (indoor pool is the same size) |
| Capacity | 169,000 gallons |
| Water type | Freshwater |
| Depth(s) | 3′ 3″ to 9′ 6″ |
| Diving | One fixed board at 3m |
| Changing facilities | Two communal changing rooms for each of the three pools with curtained cubicles |
| Second pool | Indoor main pool, indoor learners pool. Small circular paddling pool filled in. |
| Spectator seating | terrace and seating area catering for 200 persons |
| Designer | Leslie Gooday, Architect and Stanley Weddle, Richmond Council engineer The main contractor for the building of the site was W.J. Marston and Son Ltd |
| Date closed | N/A |
| Status | Open |
| On site now | The pools |
| Last updated | 18th June 2025 |
The Baths Service Journal, May 1966
Progress at Richmond
The new Richmond baths are be ginning to take shape in the Old Deer Park, and pictures reveal the indoor and outdoor pools side by side. One of the features will be a balcony from which parents can watch toddlers in the paddling pool. Estimated cost of the scheme is £500,000. Mid-summer is the scheduled opening date.
The Baths Service Journal, September 1966
From the President’s Page (R D Bland)
If one is going to drop a brick, then there is nothing like doing it with a resounding crash and then all and sundry know just what you have been up to. I did just this when I went to the opening ceremony of the new baths at Richmond.
My wife and I had started off fairly early that morning, and we had come quite a long way. There is nowhere to get a coffee at the bottom end of the M1, and we could not find even a Joe’s Cafe on the north circular, so we arrived at the Bath at about mid-day in a none too civilised frame of mind. The car park appeared to be in a state of chaos, with contractors’ vehicles everywhere and as we drove in, we saw a harassed Iooking Tom Lindley shoot out at a speed barely on the legal side of 70. For my wife and I the situation needed gin, but how, when, and where?
It was then that I saw a face I recognised, although I could not put name to him, but I felt sure that I knew him as a very junior member of the Richmond Baths Department. As befitted our feelings at that moment, an imperious gesture brought him over: the tale was told, and he quietly explained where to park and how to get a drink and a sandwich. It was only a few minutes after the ceremony had started that my wife pointed out to me this very junior member of Baths staff. There he was on the top dais, all resplendent in his scarlet gown and none other than Alderman Morell, the chairman of the Richmond Baths Committee. The clang of that brick will be in my ears for a long time. The new Richmond Bath will undoubtedly be fully described in The Baths Service, but this may not adequately convey the fact that it must be one of the most glorious establishments of its kind in the world. The setting in the Old Deer Park is perfect and even a layman can appreciate the restrained and tasteful architecture. So often with a new building one feels that it may be possible to grow to live with it in perhaps a few years’ time, but Richmond looks absolutely right now.
However, don’t for one moment think that Thomas L. gets away with everything as far as I am concerned. Even this dream Bath features my pet aversion, with far too much curtain walling, although it is true that during the ceremony I did appreciate the view, and I particularly enjoyed seeing dozens of pigeons having a whale of a meal off Tom’s newly sown grass seed. But I had gone mainly for the swimming and yet, because of the play of light, I could only see the swimmers distinctly when they were in the shadow of a column. Surely, and this is most important; a swimming bath pool should be the focal point of interest, just as is the stage at the theatre, and with absolutely no outside distractions of any kind.
The Baths Service Journal, October 1966
RICHMOND BATHS
In 1881 the Richmond Vestry built the Parkshot Baths. It was one of the earliest public baths in the country and thousands of children have enjoyed swimming activities at this homely establishment through the period of eighty-five years. Despite major alterations, additions and maintenance works at Parkshot Baths, a thorough inspection of all sections of the building in 1949 confirmed that the structure, equipment, and machinery had virtually reached the end of their periods of service. The subsequent years were utilised in planning a public bath to meet the increasing demands for modern bathing facilities.
The new Richmond Baths have been designed to cater for the complete comfort of patrons throughout the differing English seasons, and it is the hope of the Council that the whole “family” will obtain the maximum pleasure by using the new project to its fullest extent.
The Building
Richmond Baths, designed to harmonise with and belong to the Old Deer Park, will provide the unique luxury for some 1,600 visitors to swim, and sunbathe in the parkland landscape.
Two national sized pools, a learners’ pool and a paddling pool can all be viewed from high level terraces and a high-level balcony, which seats 200 guests, runs the full length of the indoor main pool.
The Baths include twenty-four private baths, the administrative offices of the Baths Department for the Borough, a residential flat, six changing rooms, plant rooms and parking facilities.
The scheme also includes a Sports Block with a Club Room; a Parks Block for the administration and care of the playing fields, tennis courts and bowling greens.
Entrance Hall
This spacious hall is entered from the paved entrance courtyard and is the main circulation area to all sections of the building. A unique feature is the illuminated decorative end wall, in front of which a spiral terrazzo staircase leads to a balcony which offers access to the administrative office suite.
The ticket kiosk, situated in a central position, controls admission to both the indoor and outdoor pools, and the spectators’ balcony, which is approached by a staircase overlooking the hall.
Aluminium framed windows, natural brown-grey brick work, white mosaics and a colourful terrazzo floor complete the finishes to the central area of the complex.
Main Pool
This pool is 110 ft. long by 42 ft. wide with depths of 3 ft. to 12 ft. 6 in. and is faced with white glazed tiles and blue marker lanes. Three sides of this main pool area are visually open to the sun-bathing area and parkland, whilst the remaining side, faced with white and orange mosaics has exits from the changing rooms, over which is situated the spectators’ balcony.
Starter blocks are constructed at the deep end whilst temporary blocks are available for the shallow end. The latest type of overspill channel and ring main has been installed, and a resting ledge is provided at a 4 ft. depth around the pool. The promenades, which have electrically heated warming benches along one side, are faced with non-slip tiles and form a link with the learners’ pool and outdoor terraces via large sliding doors in the double-glazed south-west elevation.
Main Pool Diving Stages
The diving stages consist of a 5 metre firm-board, and a 3 metre spring-board which extend from a reinforced concrete column and are accessible from a high level waiting area which projects from the face of the building and this is glazed with smoke tinted glass to minimise the light intensity for spectators watching the diving. A 1 metre springboard is also provided and both tapered springboards are made from laminated aluminium to F.I.N.A. specifications and are mounted on foot operated fulcrums.
All boards are faced with special non-slip treads and are approached by steps and guarded by handrails of polished, stainless steel. Below the diving boards, a power-operated water spray is installed in the overspill channel to eliminate reflections in the pool water surface in this area.
Learners’ Pool
This pool is adjacent to the main pool and is 42 ft. long by 24 ft. wide with depths of 1 ft. 9 in. to 3 ft. The walls and floor of the pool are faced with white glazed tiles and blue marker squares for class teaching, and wide shallow steps with blue, special non-slip nosings extend for the full length of one side. From the second riser of these steps ten inlets discharge filtered water; this innovation will be of great advantage when teaching pupils in prone or supine positions. Stainless steel training rails are fixed to each end of the pool and the overspill channel extend Jong one side. For the comfort of pupils an electrically heated warming bench is situated along the south side of the promenade. A low acoustic ceiling, the linking terrace and the solid decorative acoustic brick walls provide the correct scale and intimacy in this section of the complex.
Outdoor Pool
This pool is of the same dimensions as the main pool but with only one firm-diving board at 3 metres. The depth at the deep end is 9 ft. 6 in. It also has an overspill channel and ring main and a resting ledge at a depth of 4 ft. Frost proof white tiles over all surfaces, including the wide steps that run the full width of the shallow end of the pool, where the water depth is 3 ft. Blue marker lanes are included, as in the main pool.
Grey coloured paved promenades surround the pool, and access to these from the sunbathing area is via water filled foot troughs, which prevent grass and dirt from being brought into the water.
The paddling pool is adjacent, and both pools can be viewed from the high-level terrace which is accessible from the promenades.
Private Baths
The private baths section which has its own entrance from the main entrance hall, is separated from the main building, and consists of twelve private baths each for ladies and gentlemen, with toilet facilities and a waiting area.
The built-in baths are supplied with hot and cold water, under the control of the patrons, but the wastewater is remotely controlled by the attendant outside the white glazed tiled cubicles. An alarm-call system is also operable from each cubicle.
Plenum heating is installed to give six air changes per hour, maintaining an atmospheric temperature of 75 deg. F. The floor has non-slip tiles, and the ceiling is covered with a textured acoustic material.
Changing Rooms
There is a total of six changing rooms, two for each of the three pools. The learners’ changing rooms are entered direct from the entrance courtyard via a mosaic mural decorated foyer, and this is planned to avoid the unnecessary congestion of large parties in the main entrance hall. The remaining changing rooms are equipped with individual, curtained cubicles and lockers and a full range of toilet, washing and shower facilities is included for each changing room. Installed equipment includes electric hand driers, electric hair-driers, make-up bays and hair cream dispensers. All fixtures and fittings have been chosen, designed, and installed to present the highest degree of comfort and service.
The changing rooms for the indoor pool are artificially ventilated with warmed air from a plenum system, the outdoor changing rooms being naturally ventilated.
Boiler Plant
Within the basement, which extends almost the full length of the main building, the boiler plant consists of three 90 electrode hot water boilers each rated at 720 kW on a 415 volt. 3-phase, 50 cycle, 4-wire AC supply. These will operate on “off-peak” loading at a maximum temperature of 300 deg. F. and a pressure of 75 lb. per square inch. Two thermal storage tanks, each of 17,000 gallons capacity, are installed to store the heated water at 300 deg. F. (pressure 75 lb per square inch), and two 10 ft. by 4 ft. 6 in. diameter storage calorifiers of a nominal 1,000 gallons capacity will operate the hot water services at a maximum flow temperature of 150 deg. F., and also the blended water system to showers, bathrooms and wash basins at 95 deg. F.
A central control panel, fully instrumented, is provided to facilitate all operations and recordings.
Filtration Plant
The Richmond Baths are among the first in Europe to be equipped with this modern type of filtration plant. This is housed in the basement with the boiler plant and consists of two units with a filtering area of 325 sq. ft. each serving the indoor pools, and one unit with an area of 450 sq. ft. serving the outdoor and paddling pools. The turnover rate for the main pool is 24 hours; learners’ pool 14 hours, and outdoor pool 34 hours. The water is circulated by electric motor driven pumps, each capable of passing 677 gallons per minute. The indoor pools can be heated to 80 deg. F. via a vertical non-storage type calorifier, output 750,000 BTUs per hour when operating under the following conditions: Primary flow 180 deg. F., return 160 deg. F.; Secondary flow 80 deg. F., return 77 deg. F. A central control console operates and records all pools water treatment.
