Nottingham Turkish Baths, Upper Parliament Street, Nottingham
"A type of bath in which the bather sweats freely in a room heated by a continuous flow of hot dry air followed by washing, sometime preceded by a cold plunge, then by massage, and relaxation in a cooling-room." (Malcolm Shifrin, expert on Victorian Turkish baths in the British Isles).
By the beginning of the 20th century at least seven Turkish baths had been established in Nottingham, the most prestigious being those built by the Nottingham Turkish Baths Company Limited on Upper Parliament Street. They were designed by Arthur William Brewill and Basil Edgar Baily, architects of Pelham Chambers, Angel Row, Nottingham, and were opened in May 1898.
The decoration was in keeping with the Moorish style, the lower part at the front between the doors was faced with Hollington stone. The rest was red brick (apart from the stone work on the upper part, ornamented with the city coat of arms and the monogram of the company in Lawrence rubber bricks). The building was roofed with green slates. The company’s intention was to "render the duty of cleanliness a rose-leafed pleasure", insisting that "bathing as an art is experiencing a revival in England". They also claimed that Turkish baths could cure ailments such as influenza and ptomaine poisoning.
The Corporation of Nottingham purchased the premises for £5,400 in 1917 and the Turkish Baths were closed in November 1939. During the Second World War it was proposed that the baths be used as a decontamination and scabies treatment unit although it is unclear as to whether or not any alterations were made. From 29 September 1945 the building was leased by the Health Department for use as a skin clinic. By 1954 the NHS had no further use for the site and it was sold to the Nottingham Co-operative Society for £30,000. The Turkish Baths were demolished in 1962.
