A project to re-open Forest Hill Pools has been approved by Lewisham council.
The £10 million redevelopment will see the Victorian baths, which were built in 1885 and amply accommodated the bathing south London masses until health officials closed them down in 2006, adjoined by a new brick building with a zinc-clad roof, which will contain a new 25m pool, gym, and cafe.
The distinctive red-brick entranceway remains a focal point of the new design, which is good news for what is the oldest swimming pool in London; it was feared that the entire site would be demolished.
In further pleasing news for swim-fans, Marshall Street baths in Soho, another long-lost beauty, recently re-opened after a £25m refit; the BBC has a photo gallery. Perhaps Matthew Parris can practise his front crawl there instead of in the Thames.
More pictures at Building Design.
