Bristol North Baths Cinema
198 Gloucester Road,
Bristol,
BS7 8BN
198 Gloucester Road,
Bristol,
BS7 8BN
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Nearby Theaters
Located in the north Bristol district of St. Andrews. Construction began in 1915, and the Bristol North Baths was opened in August 1922. Andrew Atkinson took out a lease of the building to operate it as a cinema during the winter months, commencing 21st September 1922. The swimming pool was floored over to allow seating to be installed and the galleries surround it were installed with tip-up seats. Initially his lease ran for 3-years, but the cinema use was so successful that it was extended and for many years the building offered bathing in the summer and cinema in the winter.
It was equipped with a British Acoustic(BA) sound system in 1930, which was later replaced by a British Thomson Houston(BTH) sound system. Winter cinema continued at the baths until the winter of 1936.
The building became a full time swimming pool again, although the pool was occasionally boarded over for dances and exhibitions. In 2014 it is not in use.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
Construction of the Baths began in 1915, however, as soon as the boiler house was completed and the main body of the pool area was watertight from the elements, the Government took over the building. It was used as a factory to build wings for aircraft which were then transported to Filton. The building was handed back to Bristol Corporation in 1919 at the end of the Great War. It took a further 3 years to complete and open the Baths in 1922. Now operating as a co-working office space for rental by start-up businesses, it is Listed Grade II.