Corinne Fitzpatrick, Conservation Architect and Juliette Butler, Heritage at Risk Project Officer at Historic England, take a tour of Jacobs Wells Baths

Saving Jacobs Wells Baths

Built in 1889 to serve the working poor, Jacobs Wells Baths in the Clifton Conservation Area is a Grade II Listed building that holds within its walls a wealth of architectural, social and cultural heritage - from its time as a public swimming baths to its 30-year history as Bristol's only dedicated professional dance centre.

The Grade II Listed building has sat dormant since 2018 and faced an uncertain future at the start of 2023 when plans to reinstate it as a pool fell through. A petition was launched to save the building by the Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, with the help of Trinity and it was subsequently listed as ‘At Risk’ by SAVE Britain’s Heritage due to its dilapidated condition.

Since the start of 2023, the race has been on to save the Grade II listed building following news that Bristol City Council had listed the asset for disposal. Backed by stakeholders - including Hotwells & Cliftonwood Community Association, artists, local councillors and Trinity Patron Miriam Margolyes – Trinity was deemed the only viable organisation to take on a 35-year lease of Jacobs Wells as a final chance to bring it back to life.

We’re now on a mission to raise the funds needed to repair and restore Jacobs Wells into a thriving multi-purpose community, civic arts & heritage hub.

The restoration of Jacobs Wells through this project will be used as an example, to demonstrate that multicultural Britain cannot afford to lose our public spaces.

shared a vision for the building to be restored and reopened
confirmed a Community Asset Transfer offer by Bristol City Council
secured £1million in investment from the Community Ownership Fund
launched a Fundsurfer to raise much needed funds to restore the building
completed urgent repairs funded by Historic England to limit further asset damage
received planning consent to progress capital works to RIBA Stage 4
begun Phase 1 Repair Works to bring the space back into community use by Autumn 2025