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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Western Road Swimming Pool, Wood Green

Before the pool was built, an old house used to stand on its site. It dated back at least to the 17th Century. The fact that it was variously called "Moat Cottage" and "Moat House" in the nineteenth century suggests that it might have had an even older provenance. (The nearby Ducketts Manor/Farm also used to have a moat and it dated back to to Medieval times).

Moat House and its grounds were purchased by Wood Green Council. Various proposals were made for its use, but eventually a dust destructor (waste incinerator) was erected in 1908 and the pool was built and opened in 1911. (The destructor went on the provide the power to heat the pool!)

The pool eventually closed in 1997. The building survives in use as a banqueting venue.

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Tags (All lower case. Use " " for multiple word tags): western road baths
Albums: Historical Images of Wood Green | 2 of 2

Comment by Tim Fennell on April 2, 2021 at 19:01

I learnt to swim at Western Road pool in the 60s. Later on in the 70s, I joined Haringey Borough swimming club which was based at the Tottenham town hall baths, but one night a week we trained at Western Road. I don't remember it being a dirty pool, but the chlorine was fierce, and we all had streaming red eyes at the end of the session, until 'anti-chlorine' racing goggles were invented much to our relief. One memory I vividly have was of large black cockroaches which lived under the wooden benches. Sometimes they found their way into the water and gave you a close race in a 100 yards freestyle!

Comment by Leon Cych on February 17, 2023 at 20:23

In the 60s I remember the smell of urine mixed with chocolate at that pool. 

Comment by Les Humphreys on December 1, 2023 at 21:38

My father worked at the pool from 1954 to the late fifties. Besides the pool, there were men's and women's slipper baths. Dad worked at different times, both as a swimming attendant and a bath attendant. As a teenager, I spent many afternoons with a bunch of teenage friends swimming at the pool. Although the facilities were old, I never felt they were dirty, foot bath excepted!.

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