Historical Newcastle Turkish Baths and City Pool photos emerge Published duration 23 October 2016

image copyright Northumberland & Newcastle Society image caption The construction of the Newcastle City Pool and Turkish Baths before it opened for public use in 1928

Historical photos of Turkish baths which have recently been saved from closure have been found.

The Grade II-listed City Pool and Turkish Baths in Newcastle shut in 2013 as part of £100m council cuts.

Fusion Lifestyle Ltd plans to renovate the building and restore the baths which are set to reopen in 2018.

The charity leisure operator found the photos which include one of the construction of the entrance pillars before it opened for use in 1928.

Peter Kay, chief executive of Fusion Lifestyle, said: "We're so lucky to have rediscovered the amazing past of the baths and we're proud to give this historic building a proper future.

"The history of baths on this site goes back even further, to when famous [North East architect] John Dobson initially built private baths in 1838 at a cost of £9,500."

image copyright Northumberland & Newcastle Society image caption The pool hall as it was in 1928

image copyright Northumberland & Newcastle Society image caption The baths in 1930, to the left, with Newcastle City Hall (right) which has also been saved from closure

image copyright Northumberland & Newcastle Society image caption An original drawing from the Nicholas and Dixon Spain architects

image copyright Northumberland & Newcastle Society image caption A computer-generated image of how the buildings are expected to look in 2018

The facility, which opened on Northumberland Road in 1928, will be one of about a dozen left in operation.

Fusion has also taken over Newcastle City Hall, which was under threat of closure as part of a consultation into multimillion-pound budget cuts in the city.

It will be sub-leased it to the Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust, which will continue to operate it as a concert and entertainment venue.