Small pool remains open, but council has warned the whole building faces closure amid £24million repair costs

It has century-old tiling, oak ticket office, 200,000-litre cast iron tank and complete set of pre-war private baths


For almost a century, thousands gathered under the roof of this Edwardian pool to celebrate the golden age of public swimming.

Now plants, rust and decay adorn the walls of the Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham, which campaigners are fighting to save from destruction.

These stunning images of the 1907 gala pool, which shut in 2003 amid spiralling repair bills, show the depth of heritage which could be lost from what is now one of Britain's oldest surviving facilities of its kind.

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Swimming in decay: The Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham, whose Grade II*-listed Edwardian pool has lain empty for more than a decade, have been captured in a new light by photographer Mike Jones, 27. He said: 'I wanted to get some images before it was too late'

Magnificent: The pool opened in 1907 costing £33,000 and many of the original features remain, leading to safety fears as repair bills mount

Rust: One small pool remains open but councillors have warned they cannot afford the £24million to keep the building open - to the fury of campaigners. More than 100 gathered for an art project on the tiled floor last summer and another vowed to chain himself to the building

Photographer Mike Jones, 27, ventured past the 100ft Gothic renaissance terracotta and red brick frontage to capture the haunting decay of one of the city's most beloved buildings in a new light - using coloured torches to give it a haunting hue.

The gala pool pictured closed in 2003 amid safety fears and was followed swiftly by Britain's only surviving set of pre-war private 'slipper baths' - 46 of them - which shut in 2004.

Now the disused main pool cuts an eerie image. Metal poles line the pool walls once brimming with water and the blue-and-white tiled arches no longer echo with the sound of pattering bare feet.

One small pool remains open to the public, but that, too, faces closure within the next few years.

Opened on October 30, 1907, at a cost of £32,924, the baths are now the oldest of only three Grade II*-listed swimming pools still operating in Britain.

The other two are at the privately-owned RAC Club in London and The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace, also in London.

Eerie: Photographer Mr Jones used coloured torches to produce an unusual effect, leaving silhouettes of ghostly figures under the arches

Disused: Metal poles line the pool walls once brimming with water and the blue-and-white tiled arches no longer echo with the sound of pattering bare feet. The other two Grade II*-listed baths to remain in any operation are both in London, at the RAC Club and Crystal Palace

Trick of the light: With the blue hue created by the photographer, the pool looks almost as though it could still be filled with water

Despite most of the building shutting more than a decade ago, its oak ticket office, spectator gallery, balconettes, steam-heated drying racks and 200,000-litre cast iron cold water storage tank remain much as they were at the turn of the last century.

Now the ornate Edwardian building is at the centre of a fierce battle between history-lovers and Birmingham City Council, and has been listed as one of the Victorian Society's ten most endangered buildings in Britain.

In 2013 the Labour administration said it could not afford repairs to the building - which would cost £24million just to get into basic working order - and it would be cheaper to build and maintain new leisure centres than keep the crumbling small pool open for the sake of history.

One Liberal Democrat councillor, Martin Mullaney, was so angry at the threat to the beloved baths that he vowed to chain himself to the building in protest.

Another protest last summer saw 110 swimmers pose as a living 'terracotta army' on the pool's tiled floor holding a banner which declared: 'We want to swim at Moseley Road Baths'.

Features: Elsewhere in the pool building are a complete set of steam-heated drying racks, thought to be the best-preserved in Britain

Nook: Corners of the pool building, which has a 100ft red brick and terracotta frontage, remain hidden under the equipment propping it up

Beauty: The ornate building is at the centre of a fierce heritage campaign and was listed as one of the ten most endangered buildings in Britain

The photographer of seven years said: 'Although it's really only one big room, there are lots of interesting details to capture'

History: Despite most of the building shutting more than a decade ago, its oak ticket office, spectator gallery and balconettes remain

But campaigners say they are realistic - and would accept an option which makes use of the building's beauty without actually re-filling it with water.

Mr Jones, a professional photographer for seven years, said: 'I know that the remaining pool is due to close in the next few years so I wanted to get some images before it was too late.

'I wanted to get something different with my shots so I made a special point of going in the late afternoon when the light was a bit softer.

'As it is winter I knew within an hour or so of me getting there it would be dark enough to use torches to really make the photos look good.'

He added: 'I've photographed quite a few abandoned and disused places over the past seven years, some buildings are really spectacular and this one is no exception.

'I was in there about three hours as getting around in the dark, as well as trying to get each picture perfect, was quite time consuming.

'Although it's really only one big room, there are lots of interesting details to capture and I think the pictures do the stunning architecture justice.'

Modernity: There are a few reminders that the pool was open to the public until 2003 - such as this Speedo lap timer clock

Walkways: The grandoise paths to the spectator galleries have fallen silent, but in swimming's golden age would have teemed with people

Shared story: Dozens of pools have closed across Britain in the last few years since the decline of the age of baths and lidos