The Building

Features

The accommodation comprises an arched vestibule at street level and the baths at a much lower level. An open timber roof rests on 7 bays of cast iron columns and red brick arches. The roof is punctuated by two glass copulas.

At an intermediate level is the members’ lounge overlooking the pool hall and an open balcony leading to what was the Turkish Baths and now houses the second sauna and gym. The gym has a Moorish tiled entrance screen, vaulted ceiling with copula and aspidal east end.

Conservation

The Board of Drumsheugh Baths Club Limited has a long term aim to conserve and restore the Victorian features of the club. The recently completed works to renew the pool surround and pool tiling form part of that aim.

Refurbishment

Drumsheugh Baths Club was reopened in April 2005 following a major refurbishment of the pool hall. Totalling £1.1million, the project included structural support and retiling of the pool tank and surround, new poolside changing cubicles, upgrading the lighting systems and replacement of plant equipment.

The project was funded by retained funds, a levy on members and grant funding from Historic Scotland. Read more about the works (article reproduced here by kind permission of the Editor of RICS).

Earlier Works

Earlier works included major repairs to the roof of the pool hall (1980) and to the roof and external walls of the Turkish Baths area in the mid 1990s. Contribution to the cost of these works was made by Historic Scotland.

New boilers and filtration plant were installed in 1980. The next phase of works will be to replace air handling equipment in a sympathetic manner to ensure protection of the fabric.