Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths secure funding from Architectural Heritage Fund

We are delighted to share the news that Heritage Network member the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths (external link) have been awarded £45,900 from the Architectural Heritage Fund (external link) (AHF).

The AHF grant will enable the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths (external link) to further develop their plans for a sustainable future for the historic James Street baths as a health and wellbeing centre with the Turkish Baths at its heart. This work will include a full measured survey of the building, the development of a business plan, and a conservation appraisal of the Turkish Baths.

The city of Carlisle and the county of Cumbria are fortunate to have one of only 13 working Turkish Baths remaining in the UK, and the last one in the north west of England. It is this unique heritage that the Friends wish to save - to keep it in community use as well as to attract visitors to the city.

The Friends’ vision is to develop the Victorian public baths to add more spa facilities to complement the Grade II listed Turkish Baths. Treatment rooms and studios would increase the health and wellbeing offer, and the charity also wants to open an affordable laundry and community hub. They are confident that using all the existing facilities and space in the public baths will guarantee the future of the 142-year-old building.

The CEO of the Architectural Heritage Fund (external link), Matthew Mckeague, said:

“We are pleased to support The Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths through this latest grant. As well as saving an important heritage asset, refreshed and reopened the baths could serve Carlisle and visitors to the city once again. This next stage of development will test the various ideas for the baths - we look forward to seeing how the proposals develop.”

The Friends are working closely with Cumberland Council to secure a community asset transfer which will allow the charity to apply for larger grants to fund the renovation of the heritage building.

Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said:

“This grant is a really important step in developing the plans that will secure a sustainable future for Carlisle’s Victorian and Turkish Baths. These baths are a much‑loved and truly unique part of our city’s heritage, and it’s fantastic to see the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths continuing to develop such an ambitious and community‑focused vision”.

“Cumberland Council is pleased to be working closely with the charity, and we look forward to seeing these exciting plans continue to progress.”

The development of the station gateway with its transport hub will increase the footfall past the site and the potential to attract new users of all facilities as well as the Turkish Baths. The charity’s plan is to create a new entrance and a cafe in the part of the building facing George Square and the railway station’s new southern entrance.

We love to share our members’ good news. Please email us with updates, awards, and other announcements.

Want to know more about saving historic pools, lidos, and baths? We ran an online event with Future Lidos and Historic Pools of Britain, which featured the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths, back in January. Members of the Heritage Network can watch the event recording through Toolkit. (external link)

About the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths

The Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths (external link) is a registered charity working towards re-opening Carlisle’s Victorian and Turkish Baths. The James Street baths were closed by Carlisle City Council in November 2022.

The historic building includes the Grade II listed Turkish Baths, one of only thirteen such baths that remain operational from the almost 700 that once existed across the UK. A viability study commissioned by the Friends charity in 2022, funded by the AHF and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, found that the building could be run sustainably with additional features alongside the Turkish Baths. The Friends are working with Cumberland Council to find a sustainable long-term future for the historic baths.

About the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF)

The AHF (external link) is a registered charity, working to promote the conservation and sustainable re-use of historic buildings for the benefit of communities across the UK, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.