Oriental Baths

munki · Post by **munki** » Sun 04 May, 2008 2:23 pm

I have had a look on a couple of maps but can't quite work out where the Oriental Baths were on Cookridge Street. They were only demolished in 1965 so there must be people out there who remember using them. Can anyone help?

munki · Post by **munki** » Sun 04 May, 2008 2:27 pm

CB's original design...Both pics courtesy of www.leodis.net

slw · Post by **slw** » Sun 04 May, 2008 7:20 pm

From the description I have been given in it was where Millenium Square is now and was somewhere opposite where the Civic Theatre/new museum was/is.

slw · Post by **slw** » Sun 04 May, 2008 7:20 pm

Oops double post.

Post by **chameleon** » Sun 04 May, 2008 7:29 pm

Standing in front of the Mechanics Institute munki, opposite and to the left on what was a large open space for many years.Next door up Cookridage Street and straight opposite was for many years, the rehearsal rooms, store and scenary work/paint shop for the Civic Arts guild, before removal to Stansfield Chambers.

electricaldave · Post by **electricaldave** » Sun 04 May, 2008 7:31 pm

I remember the white tiles on the walls for many a year afterwards, I was going to school back in the early 1970's and remember the area behind Cookridge Street.There is some sort of mural on the walls there now.There is a gap in the buildings opposite side of the road to the Mechanics Institute, and this gap allowed you to get through to the Civic Place - now called Millenium Square.If you are standing at the bottom end of Rossington Street looking across Cookrdige Street, its the gap just over to your right.The buildings either side are still there, one was where the Electric Press building is - formerly Chorley & Pickersgill, the other end was known as Brodricks Buildings - I think they are cafe/bars now - these were empty for quite a while and its a surprise that they survived, along with the former Gaumont Cinema which became the Town & Country club.When you look at what was demolished around Portland Crescent, and the top end of Cookridge Street, and add in the fact that many of the remainder buildings were empty for years, it is a miracle we have anything left.

Yorkshire Pud · Post by **Yorkshire Pud** » Sun 04 May, 2008 10:33 pm

munki wrote: I have had a look on a couple of maps but can't quite work out where the Oriental Baths were on Cookridge Street. They were only demolished in 1965 so there must be people out there who remember using them. Can anyone help? Hi Munki, I came across this picture in one of the Memory Lane books, done by YEP, which shows the demolished baths. They seem to have been in front of the Leeds Institute/Civic Theatre.Hope this gives you a better idea of where they were situated.(this is my 1st time i,ve posted an attatchement, so I hope it works!!)Here goes........

munki · Post by **munki** » Mon 05 May, 2008 2:48 pm

That's fantastic, thanks everyone!

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Tue 31 Jul, 2012 6:01 pm

munki wrote: I have had a look on a couple of maps but can't quite work out where the Oriental Baths were on Cookridge Street. They were only demolished in 1965 so there must be people out there who remember using them. Can anyone help? MunkiI must've only been a tiddler, but sure I recall this. I learnt to swim in the old stone pre-sports centre municipal baths (not Cookridge St). Think there was one on Meanwood Rd & Hunslet Rd somewhere.That's why it is such a treat to visit Bramley Baths, sole survivor!My dad worked in town and cookridge baths rings a bell, think we went after work.Would like to know when it closed to public with then lead-time to demo?Then in later years we went to the trendy new "White Heat of Technology" Int.l Pool at Westgate

biofichompinc · Post by **biofichompinc** » Tue 31 Jul, 2012 8:17 pm

Jogon wrote: munki wrote: I have had a look on a couple of maps but can't quite work out where the Oriental Baths were on Cookridge Street. They were only demolished in 1965 so there must be people out there who remember using them. Can anyone help? MunkiI must've only been a tiddler, but sure I recall this. I learnt to swim in the old stone pre-sports centre municipal baths (not Cookridge St). Think there was one on Meanwood Rd & Hunslet Rd somewhere.That's why it is such a treat to visit Bramley Baths, sole survivor!My dad worked in town and cookridge baths rings a bell, think we went after work.Would like to know when it closed to public with then lead-time to demo?Then in later years we went to the trendy new "White Heat of Technology" Int.l Pool at Westgate The web page here....http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/arti ... mlcontains this text:Also known as Oriental or Central baths, the Cookridge Street Baths were opened in 1867. Designed by Cuthbert Broderick for £13,000, the baths remained in use until finally closing in 1965 and being demolished in 1969.So Munki's date above may be incorrect for demolition, but bang on for closure to the public.