Timothy Burt's Bath House, Penzance

P1010834.JPG

Title

Timothy Burt's Bath House, Penzance

Subject

Miscellaneous

Description

The remains of Burt's Bath House, Penzance, exposed as the rough seas washed the sand away during the January 2014 storms. 

The storms of the winter of 2013/2014 destroyed a great deal of the coastline but also revealed much which had been invisible. Mount's Bay suffered a great deal from these storms and the harbours at Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance and Porthleven suffered varying degrees of damage. Much that had been hidden for many years came to light. On the beach opposite the Queens Hotel two sides of what appeared to be a square structure appeared immediately under the wall. The eastern side had been visible from time to time but not the northern side. There was also much evidence of parts of this structure scattered around and the remains of what appeared to be iron girders.

A map hanging in the Morrab Library, Penzance, and the Tithe Map of 1844 showed "Baths" at this point. Part of the building rested on dry land while another longer part of the building would have been over the beach and at higher tides sea would have washed up against it. The tithe map shows that the building was divided up forming a small square on the eastern side. The Tithe Apportionment gives at 1449 "Baths and Bathing House", the landlord is John Boase and the lessee and occupier is Timothy Burt.

These baths should not be confused with the ones at the bottom of Jennings' Street which must have been the ones described by Dr Paris in 1824(1) ".....since the publication of the first edition [1816] of this work, HOT and COLD SEA BATHS have been completed upon a suitable scale of convenience. The waiting room belonging to the establishment commands a prospect of very singular beauty. St Michael's Mount rising boldly in front forms a striking relief to the extended line of coast which constitutes the background while the undulating shores to the left skirted by the little village of Chyandour, are well contrasted on the opposite side, with the busy scene of the pier, and the numerous vessels in the harbour." It would have been impossible then and now to have seen Chyandour or Penzance harbour activities from the site of Timothy Burt's baths! It is interesting to note that visitors would have been drawn to the activities of the port as well as the scenery.

C.G. Boase in a series of articles in the Cornish Telegraph newspaper (1883-1884) described the Jennings' Street baths. He did not know when they were opened but he claimed that on the 31st August 1816 "a great storm occurred which broke all the windows, the waves entered the buildings and washed out the furniture and fittings." Although not used after that, the building remained for many years with the word "BATHS" on it with very conspicuous lettering(2).

All this would seem to conflict with an advertisement in the West Briton newspaper of 17th June 1825 where "SEA WATER BATHS lately erected at the end of Jennings' Street close to the sea" were to be sold, leasehold for 1000 years and a yearly rent of £3. The baths were sold for both ladies and gentlemen. There are excellent warm and cold baths, a pump room and "a handsome spacious waiting room over the baths" and "a delightful view of Mount's Bay". These baths were built "a few years since" for £600 and are "in complete repair" and good condition.

1. A Guide to Mounts Bay and the Land's End by a Physician (London 1824) 34-35
2. These articles were republished in 1976 C.G. Boase Reminiscences of Penzance edited by PAS Poole and the description of the baths is on p.61.

Creator

Cedric Appleby

Publisher

Morrab Library

Date

2014-01

Rights

Morrab Library

Format

Print

Type

Photograph

Identifier

M.1833

Coverage

Penzance Promenade