Swimming Baths 

Many local fulham residents, stretching back to the 50s, 60s and 70s have core memories of learning to swim at Fulham Baths. Memories have been shared of learning to swim, while mothers, aunts and grandmothers did the laundry at the wash house. Swimming followed by hot tomato soup, a cup of Oxo or hot Bovril, along with fish and chips on the North End Road or even ' Shells Bakery' opposite. 

After the 1878 Princess Alice disaster, a focus on teaching citizens to swim was part of the reason the Baths & Washhouses act encouraged covered swimming pools to be built. Since its construction, including Councillor Sayer, the first person to take an inaugural dip in the baths, the three swimming pools have hosted many a novice swimmer. 

"......Since 1918 the public demand for swimming baths and better swimming facilities had increased to a tremendous extent, and the Fulham Borough Council, whose desire was for the improvement of the health of the citizen, was prepared to stimulate and encourage this progress because the members believed that, as a health measure, the provision of bathing facilities was the truest form of economy...."  

Fulham Baths Reopened - 1937, 1st October, West London Observer

The private warm baths, or otherwise known as 'Slipper Baths' were roll-top, freestanding baths that formed part of the original plan for the site.  

'SLIPPER' BATHS / WARM BATHS 

At the time of construction, there were 84 Bathtubs in use, 59 Mens and 25 Womens which provided private washing and warm water.  

First Class Baths: 28 (18 Men's // 10 Women's)

Second Class Baths: 56 (41 Men's // 15 Women's) 

Public Wash House for 66 Washers   ( Entrance on Hartismere Road )

As construction and building regulations changed, over the decades more housing in the area was built with bathrooms already built in. Patrons would come perhaps once a week from all over the borough for their weekly bath.

By 1979, the Fulham Chronicle had calculated that still some 5300 households in the borough still had no bath or shower, and 9500 households which share baths or showers.