Description

HALIFAX

679/0/10308 HALL LANE
03-AUG-05 Northworam
Underground Bath House, Northowram

II
Underground bath house built to serve Northowram Hall. Mid-C18, probably for John Edwards, owner of the Hall. Stone with some brick, approached down a straight flight of stone steps with roll-moulded edges, leading to the main room to the right. This is of coursed stone with a barrel-vaulted roof. band course of comb-dressed stone defining spring of the roof. Large plunge pool in centre with roll-moulded edges over large smooth ashlar sides. Pointed arched openings central to north and south walls. To north this leads to a smaller chamber with smaller pointed arch in the rear wall with a stone slab behind and hand-made brick side walls, partially removed. To south, central opening leads to another chamber and is flanked by two pointed arched windows with stone slab cills. South chamber is rectangular with curved wall at southeast corner and small footbath beyond. Two pointed arched niches on west and south walls, and remains of a fireplace on east wall. Flue in north-east corner in a small recess. Two circular skylights in concrete surround above ground.
HISTORY: The bathhouse appears to be contemporary with an earlier C18 house on the site, as most bathhouses were built in this period. It is thought that the bath house was built by Bernard Hartley, a Yorkshire builder and architect (c.1745-1834)who was involved in the construction of several bridges including John Carr's road bridge at Ferrybridge.
SOURCES: Northowram Hall Bath House: Building Report Specification, WYAS 2003 (unpub)
Kellerman, S. Bath Houses an Introduction, The Follies Journal, No 1 2001.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26672121

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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