Anyone who can guess the location of this old photo knows the area extremely well.
This photograph was taken around 1925 and while times may have been hard in the Victorian era, but the beauty of their infrastructure was something to behold.
If you guessed that this picture was taken in St Thomas Street - then well done - you have extensive knowledge of Weymouth!
This grand building housed Weymouth's Royal Baths.
They were supplied with pure salt water, pumped direct from the open sea in Weymouth Bay.
Weymouth's Royal Baths stood from 1842 until 1927.
This photo was kept in Weymouth Museum.
Speaking in 2006, museum volunteer Richard Samways said of the resort's Royal Baths: "Very little, if anything, seems to have been written about them.
"The baths were housed in a grand building with a fine elevation, as you can see from the photo. The only reference to them in the borough council minutes is one of February 27, 1854, where Sir Frederick Johnstone is granted permission to erect a tank and lay down pipes on the sands opposite Johnstone Row so salt water could be taken to the baths.
"It would seem that the building was very much neglected after the turn of the century and was eventually demolished in 1927."
An advert in the Weymouth Journal on April 29, 1859 described the baths as such: 'The Weymouth Royal Baths near the King's Statue in St Thomas and St Mary Street are now in good working order.
'They are supplied with pure salt water, pumped direct from the open sea in Weymouth Bay. The water is heated in closed vessels by a Patent Steam Apparatus.
'The baths, constructed of marble, are of ample dimensions, and the Bath Rooms, while they are so arranged to secure perfect seclusion and quietness, are fitted up in a style of comfort and convenience which must be pleasing to the bather.'
The article went on to detail the prices.
The baths stood there from 1842 until 1927 when they were demolished. The space was occupied by babywear shop Mothercare which closed in 2013.
Here's how the scene looked a few years agao when Mothercare was in the space.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel