New southern-east area out of Clerkenwell Street and you may St-john Roadway try filled from the a belated-1870s speculative innovation to begin with adding baths to have swimming and you will baths, plus properties and you will sites (Ills 558, 579). The new ‘Central Bath’ facilities was brief-existed, which a portion of the strengthening try then adapted since the a keen electroplating works.
New buildings, confronted during the white brick having stone and you can moulded-stone dressings, were designed by Robert Walker, district surveyor for St Martin-in-the-Sphere, and you can founded because of the J. J. Bennett & Co. for the 1877�8. (fn. 30) The main developer has been Alfred Bompas, guy, away from Barnsbury, which taken out your website towards Metropolitan Panel away from Really works in the 1876, grabbed the latest rent of your own done property in 1878, and you can made an effort to find the freehold inside the 1879. (fn. 31) But not, a released account of the the newest buildings claims-since if the condition had been available to concern-that the performs was accomplished ‘under the personal direction’ out of Bennett & Co., ‘who could be the originators and you may owners of the new baths’. (fn. 32) Bompas wasn’t, centered on his referees, in a position to loans the newest starting on his own membership, and his experience of Bennetts isn�t identified. (fn. 33)
The organization consisted of half a dozen property, four which have stores, as well as the diving-pond and shower curtains trailing, featuring its access on Zero. 104 St john 
Street. About entrance (and that holds its class lighting fixtures, though maybe not the initial pretty iron cresting), an extensive passageway resulted in the latest swimming-pond. Included in a cup rooftop, that it mentioned from the 90ft because of the 30ft, which have a good 7ft deep-avoid. The fresh new pond is actually white-tiled and had an ornamental dolphin’s head water fountain on one hand. Varied along side poolside was indeed dressing-packages and you may ‘other conveniences’, and more than was indeed free galleries on the a couple profile for every single which have fourteen individual shower enclosures for men and you may lady correspondingly. An effective demountable flooring welcome the fresh pond to be used to have group meetings during the cold winter, swimming-also inside-being obviously however a regular athletics. (fn. 34)
New showers closed in 1896, and you can of then through to the seventies had been filled of the Elizabeth. C. Furby & Sons, electroplaters and you may enamellers of bicycle parts, the old slipper showers giving means to fix plating shower curtains. (fn. 35) Furby’s properties have been said lost by the fire for the 1919. (fn. 36) Nothing of one’s unique pool and shower enclosures survives today.
No. 27
It brief facility and you may workshop (Sick. 550) try erected in 1879 to have William and you can Francis Hudden, tin-plate workers and methods resellers away from St John’s Way, whoever enterprise went on so you can change indeed there before the late 1950s. New architects have been Samuel Parr and you can Alfred Pope Good out-of Finsbury Rectangular, the fresh new creator John Grover of brand new North Roadway. (fn. 37)
Zero. 30
The initial building, a cycle facility out of c. 1888, was occupied of 1906 from the shopfitters Age. Pollard & Co. It actually was remodeled getting Pollards inside the 1919�20 as their ‘City’ showrooms; the present granite and wood shopfront was later on and you may was probably added by the organization about 1930s. (fn. 38)
Pennybank Compartments
That it part stop, comprising Nos 31�33 Clerkenwell Road and you may 33�thirty five St John’s Square, is actually erected during the 1879�80 because of the National Penny Lender Co. Ltd and you will considering sites and you can artisans’ dwellings, in addition to a department towards the financial (Unwell. 559). It absolutely was crafted by the newest architects Charles Henman and you will William Harrison, and you will created because of the Aitchison & Walker away from St John’s Timber. The foundation brick try laid in may 1879 by the HRH Little princess Christian off SchleswigHolstein (just who acquired a commemorative trowel, inlaid which have gold pennies as well as the shape from a workman with a financial publication, showing ‘the power of your own penny’). (fn. 39)