Nos 17�23 (with Nos 102�106 St john Path)

This new southern area-east part out of Clerkenwell Highway and you will St john Roadway is filled of the a belated-1870s speculative creativity in the first place adding baths getting swimming and you will baths, and properties and you can stores (Ills 558, 579). Brand new ‘Central Bath’ establishment is quick-lived, which an element of the building is actually then modified once the a keen electroplating works.

The buildings, faced during the white-brick with brick and you may molded-brick dressings, was designed by Robert Walker, area surveyor to own St Martin-in-the-Areas, and depending from the J. J. Bennett & Co. in the 1877�8. (fn. 30) The main developer has been Alfred Bompas, gentleman, of Barnsbury, which applied for the site towards the Urban Panel off Work inside 1876, grabbed the newest lease of your finished houses inside the 1878, and you may attempted to find the tenure during the 1879. (fn. 31) But not, a printed membership of one’s the fresh new houses says-since if the matter was in fact open to matter-that really works was basically carried out ‘under the private direction’ away from Bennett & Co., ‘who will be the originators and owners of new baths’. (fn. 32) Bompas was not, according to his referees, capable funds this new creating by himself account, and his reference to Bennetts isn�t recognized. (fn. 33)

The development contained half dozen home, five with shops, additionally the diving-pool and you may shower curtains about, with its access in the No. 104 St john Roadway. From the entry (and that keeps its group lamps, whether or not not the first decorative iron cresting), a broad passageway led to the fresh new diving-pool. Included in a windows go rooftop, which counted on 90ft because of the 30ft, having a great 7ft strong-avoid. The brand new pool are light-tiled together with a pretty dolphin’s lead fountain on one hand. Varied along the poolside were dressing up-packets and ‘other conveniences’, and significantly more than had been galleries with the a couple of levels for each and every which have 14 individual shower curtains for men and you will lady respectively. An excellent demountable floor greet brand new pond for use to have group meetings during the cold winter, swimming-even indoors-getting evidently however a regular sport. (fn. 34)

The latest showers closed-in 1896, and you will off following through to the 70s was occupied because of the Elizabeth. C. Furby & Sons, electroplaters and enamellers from bike parts, the existing slipper baths offering solution to plating shower curtains. (fn. 35) Furby’s premises was indeed advertised shed because of the fire inside 1919. (fn. 36) Nothing of your brand-new pool and you may shower curtains endures now.

Zero. twenty seven

So it short factory and working area (Unwell. 550) was erected for the 1879 getting William and you may Francis Hudden, tin-dish pros and you can apparatus merchants of St John’s Way, whose corporation went on to help you change around up until the later 1950s. The brand new architects was indeed Samuel Parr and you will Alfred Pope Strong away from Finsbury Rectangular, the fresh builder John Grover of new North Street. (fn. 37)

No. 31

The initial building, a cycle warehouse away from c. 1888, are filled regarding 1906 by the shopfitters Elizabeth. Pollard & Co. It was rebuilt to have Pollards in 1919�20 as their ‘City’ showrooms; the current stone and you can timber shopfront was later and you will was probably additional from the company in the 1930s. (fn. 38)

Pennybank Compartments

This place stop, spanning Nos 31�33 Clerkenwell Highway and you can 33�35 St John’s Rectangular, is erected inside 1879�80 by the National Penny Lender Co. Ltd and you will offered shops and you may artisans’ dwellings, and additionally a department on lender (Sick. 559). It absolutely was designed by the brand new architects Charles Henman and you will William Harrison, and you may created because of the Aitchison & Walker off St John’s Wood. The origin stone was laid in may 1879 of the HRH Princess Christian of SchleswigHolstein (exactly who received an effective commemorative trowel, inlaid that have gold pennies and the contour from an effective workman that have a lender publication, demonstrating ‘the fuel of penny’). (fn. 39)