Corinne Fitzpatrick, Conservation Architect and Juliette Butler, Heritage at Risk Project Officer at Historic England, take a tour of Jacobs Wells Baths

Saving Jacobs Wells Baths

Built in 1889 to serve the working poor, Jacobs Wells Baths in the Clifton Conservation Area is a Grade II Listed building that holds within its walls a wealth of architectural and social and cultural heritage - from its time as a public swimming baths to its 30 year history as Bristol's only dedicated professional dance hub.

The Grade II Listed building has sat dormant since 2018 and faced an uncertain future at the start of 2023 when plans to reinstate it as a pool fell through. A petition was launched to save the building by the Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, with the help of Trinity and it was subsequently listed as ‘At Risk’ by SAVE Britain’s Heritage due to its dilapidated condition.

Since the start of 2023, the race has been on to save the Grade II listed building following news that Bristol City Council had listed the asset for disposal. Backed by stakeholders - including Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, artists local councillors and Trinity Patron Miriam Margolyes - we set out on a mission to raise the funds needed to repair and restore the building and bring it back into a thriving civic arts & heritage hub.

So far we have:

• shared a vision for the building to be restored and reopened
• secured an Community Asset Transfer offer by Bristol City Council
• secured £1mil in investment from the Community Ownership Fund
• launched a Fundsurfer to help raise much needed funds for our phased plans to restore the building
• delivered an Urgent Repairs scheme funded by Historic England to limit further asset damage

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