Let There Be Light!
Let there be light! Carrek Ltd work to reveal lantern roof at Jacobs Wells Baths. Photos: Elliot Thingston
"Have you forgotten about Jacobs Wells?”
This was my partner, chatting to me last week because January’s been all systems go and all I've been chatting about of late is Citizens for Culture and deliberative democracy and City of Culture and creativity for everyone and Solar Opposites and Pokémon etc etc...
Like him, some of you may have walked past Jacobs Wells Baths and seen scaffolding shooting up and started wondering what on earth is going on inside. Has Emma forgotten about her building babies? Has she finally lost the plot?!
Perhaps.
But behind the boards and beneath the dust, something extraordinary is happening. And we let photographer Elliot Thingston (with his PPE on) inside to take a sneaky peak. As work continues overhead, the transformation may not yet be fully visible from the street. But believe me when I say, the Baths are beginning to breathe again.
As part of the ongoing restoration works to save this building and restore it for the community, heritage contractors Carrek Ltd have been working to remove the internal roof fabric. The old, damaged acoustic foam left behind from its time as a dance centre has revealed for the first time since 1984 the building's original glass lantern roof. When the foam started coming down, we began to see the outline of the lantern structure. To watch the main hall flood with daylight. That was special. You could suddenly understand the architect’s original intention.
What’s Happening Now
The team is removing damaged internal acoustic foam and carefully exposing the historic lantern structure. Original timber and ironwork are being assessed and restored, new glazing is being installed, solar panels added, and external masonry repaired. Phase 1 costs £2.2m and is scheduled to be completed Autumn 2026
Contractors can at times seem faceless, but not this crew. Keith Hoskins, Director of Carrek Ltd is one of the many true passionate folk involved in this recovery effort. I’ve been involved in a few capital projects over the years with my other building baby, the Trinity Centre (don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten her either), and this is the first time I’ve seen someone so utterly determined to climb eight tiers of scaffolding just to witness a moment of restoration. But that’s what a project like this does. It pulls people upward.
A passion project for spirited souls just like Keith. When I was chatting to him up there in the roof heavens he spoke excitedly about the original timber roof noting that, while some areas of the structure have deteriorated over time, the overall quality and craftsmanship of the materials and original build is remarkable.
The team’s priority is to conserve and repair as much of the historic fabric as possible. The existing timber frame will be carefully restored, with a new glass roof introduced above it; one that honours the original design while ensuring the structure performs to contemporary building and environmental standards.
What’s Happening Next
Phase 2 will focus on the restoration of internal fabric and adaptation of the space in response to community consultation. This will include renovation of the interior, a new entrance, WCs, and lift, as well as interpretation and signage, plus a heritage learning and participation programme. Phase 2 costs are estimated at £4.5m and are expected to begin in Spring 2027 (subject to funding)
There’s something deeply symbolic about light returning to this building. Jacobs Wells Baths has always been a place of public gathering and shared experience. Seeing the lantern revealed I hope will serve as a reminder that this isn’t just restoration. It’s a revival.
This is why I am so in love with old buildings. Because, at the beginning, there’s a surge of excitement in that moment of possibility. Then the hard graft begins and it’s all scaffolding, dust, rubble and drilling and pulling things apart and board meetings and spreadsheets and budgets and cost rationalising and more meetings and and and.
And for a while, hope vanishes behind hoardings. And we find it hard to hold onto that end goal of a reimagined space for us. But it’s precisely in these messy, unseen stages that something extraordinary starts to happen. The foundations are laid and that art of the possible truly begins, nudging us steadily closer to that magical moment when the space opens once again and the vision becomes a reality for everyone.
It’s not always easy to create moments inside the building to connect with supporters while major works like this are underway. So, I hope these images offer a glimpse into that window of possibility. A way to see the craftsmanship and care that hides behind the scaffolding and for you all to continue to have faith in us.
I share this to give love and thanks to my dedicated professional team and so people can feel part of the journey. We’re deeply grateful to our community, funders and partners for sticking with us through the complex stages of restoration, and we’re hopeful about what this moment of light signals: the start of the future of this extraordinarily handsome building.
Phase 3 to be continued...?
Because this is not a building story. It’s a flippin’ love story. And all the best love stories come in three parts.
By Emma Harvey, CEO
Thanks to our funders: We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support of our funders and supporters, including MHCLG (Community Ownership Fund), Architectural Heritage Fund, Historic England, The Nisbet Trust, John James Foundation, Merchant Venturers Charitable Trust, Centrica: Energy for Tomorrow, The Pilgrim Trust, Bristol City Council, Sylvia Waddilove and all our individual donors and sponsors. We could not do this without you x
