As everybody knows, for a long time, there were no specially designated places for bathing on the territory of Europe. Our ancestors usually did it in rivers and other water bodies. In the Middle Ages, people generally didn’t pay enough attention to hygiene and sanitation. Later, bathrooms started to appear in the houses of upper-class representatives. Therefore, the emergence of public baths was important and necessary for many cities. Londoners were forced to find a solution to this issue as well. Where and when did the first baths appear in the capital of Great Britain? What was the history of their development? Are there similar places in modern London? Learn more at london1.one.
Prerequisites for the creation of baths
In general, the first baths appeared on the territory of London in Roman times. However, this statement hasn’t solid grounds to be proven. Moreover, later, the Romans left the territory of Great Britain, and the city began to decline. The latest standards for that time left the city with the Romans and baths weren’t mentioned for a long time. Several centuries later, the appearance of baths in Great Britain was closely related to global changes in society and medicine in particular. Over time, people in Europe began to realise the importance of sanitation. After all, even doctors used to consider their dirty clothes as evidence of high-quality work and professionalism. However, the most important impetus for the development of places where people could bathe and wash clothes was the epidemics of various diseases raging in the world. Plague, cholera, smallpox, typhoid… They could engulf an entire city in a short period of time. Therefore, people were ready to accept any changes.
The first known public baths and their further development
Although London was one of the most developed cities in the world, the first baths in Great Britain appeared in Liverpool. In 1832, an Irish immigrant who lived in this city invited her neighbours to visit her house to bathe and wash clothes. The woman also taught people how to use chlorinated lime. All those measures helped to counter the spread of cholera. Such news spread very quickly in London as well. This led to the creation of the Committee for Promoting the Establishment of Baths and Wash-Houses for the Labouring Classes in 1844. The Bishop of London was the head of the committee. Later, he filed a petition to regulate the system of public baths. That resulted in the 1846 Public Baths and Wash-houses Act, which allowed local authorities to finance the construction of public laundries and baths.
After the law was passed, the first wash-houses began to appear on the streets of London. The first public baths were opened in 1847. They were innovative places. The walls of the building were built of brick and the roof was iron. Such a design complied with one of the main conditions, ensuring fire safety. Marshall Street Baths and Poplar Baths were established in 1852. Soon, public baths became common in London. Around the 1860s, Turkish baths began to appear in the city too. They got to the country thanks to the Scottish diplomat and writer David Urquhart. He was involved in the popularisation of Turkish culture for political and personal reasons. Such places appeared in London later than in many other cities in the country. However, there are Turkish baths that have survived to this day in the capital of Great Britain. They still receive visitors and are located at the Royal Automobile Club, York Hall Leisure Centre and The Porchester Centre.