Search for listed buildings

Description: Underground Bath House

Address: Bath House To Former Northowram Hall Hall Lane Northowram Halifax West Yorkshire

Grade: II

Group detail: Hall Lane

Full description:
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 (c1745 - 1834) who was involved in the contruction of several bridges including John Carrs 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.