Victorian-era mirrors stolen from Carlisle's Turkish baths
Two Victorian mirrors in Carlisle’s recently closed Turkish baths have been stolen, leaving volunteers devastated.
The Grade-II listed baths originally had 12 mirrors in each of its changing booths.
Over the years, 10 mirrors have been damaged or lost and only two remained. Now it's been revealed that they were taken sometime between 25 September and 23 October.
The building is owned by Carlisle City Council and operated by contractor GLL.
A volunteer group – the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths - had managed the maintenance of he Victorian sauna and steam room.
A group spokesman said: “The friends group have confirmed that no one from GLL or the city council have removed the mirrors for any reason. This is a case of heritage crime. We just want them back.”
It is a double blow for the group, as the Turkish baths closed their doors on Saturday 12 November.
Carlisle-born Olympic swimmer Wendy Burrell was one of over 50 people who gathered early on Saturday as the city’s 138-year-old public baths closed.
She was just 16 when she represented Great Britain at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and spent thousands of hours training with Carlisle Secondary Amateur Swimming Club at the James Street Baths from the age of eight.
“Without the baths I wouldn’t have had all the experiences I had as a teenager. I travelled to so many countries, made lots and lots of friends and it’s all really thanks to Carlisle Baths,” said Mrs Burrell.
Built at a cost of £7,750 Carlisle Baths comprised first and second class plunge pools, slipper baths and showers for men, and a small ladies plunge pool when they opened in 1884.
Although initially for bathing and washing, by the time of the First World War, the plunge pools had become a city hub for swimming, and in 1920 Carlisle’s first Amateur Swimming Club, Border City ASC, was formed.
Julie Minns, chair of the friends group, said: “Clearly, it was time Carlisle had new modern swimming pools, but that does not mean the Victorian and Turkish Baths cannot continue to support the health and wellbeing of local people as they have for over a century.
“Our focus from the outset has been to keep the Turkish baths in use and it's deeply disappointing the council voted to prematurely close what are the North West area's last Turkish baths.
"We hope to persuade the new Cumberland Council to reopen them next year and in the meantime we are progressing our plans for a community asset transfer and redevelopment of the baths as a new centre for health and wellbeing."
The group had secured funding earlier this year for a stage one viability study into their proposal to develop the James Street building and restore the Grade II listed Turkish baths.
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