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Feel The Heat By Entering A Genuine Victorian Turkish Bath
The surprising thing about a Turkish Bath is that it is not a bath at all. Instead it is a room (or a series of rooms with progressively higher temperatures) heated by a continuous flow of hot dry air. The idea being that the heat has a therapeutic effect that helps ease away the stress and strains of everyday life. | Have you ever been to a Turkish Bath? If so we would love to hear all about your experiences. You can contact us via our contact page. |
The most famous Victorian Turkish Baths in the UK is on Parliament Street in Harrogate, Yorkshire. It reopened to the public last year after a million pound restoration project was completed and offers three dry heat rooms as well as a steam room scented with eucalyptus oil, a plunge pool (pictured above) and a relaxation area. For maximum benefit, you should spend around two and a half hours in the Turkish Bath moving from the steam room to the dry rooms via the plunge pool and repeating the cycle as often as you wish. The Victorian Turkish Baths in Harrogate are open seven days a week (except Bank Holidays) and offer sessions for men and women as well as mixed sessions. A single visit will cost £12.50 (£8.90 on Tuesday mornings) including fresh towels and reduced price books of tickets can be bought for regular visitors. For more information telephone 01423 556 746 or visit the Harrogate Turkish Bath website. The Health Hydro in Swindon (telephone 01793 465 630) has Victorian Turkish Baths, again consisting of three rooms. A session costs £6.90, but towels are not included and swimwear must be worn during all sessions, including single sex ones. The only other surviving Victorian Turkish Baths in England is in Carlisle at The Pools Swimming and Health Centre (telephone 01228 625777). In Scotland, Edinburgh’s Portobello Swim Centre (0131 669 6888) has Turkish Baths that are open to the public, but the two remaining Victorian Turkish Baths in Glasgow are unfortunately members only. The foundation stone for the Turkish Baths at the Carnegie Leisure Centre (telephone 01383 314 200) in Dunfermline was laid the year after Queen Victoria’s death, but is well worth including here. |
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Such baths were popular throughout Europe during Victorian times and could be found throughout the UK. Over the years their popularity waned and many closed down, but you can still enjoy the exhilaration and relaxation of a genuine Victorian Turkish Bath at a handful of sites around Britain.