The south-east area out-of Clerkenwell Path and you will St john Path is actually occupied because of the a belated-1870s speculative innovation to start with including shower enclosures getting diving and you may bathrooms, together with properties and sites (Ills 558, 579). The newest ‘Central Bath’ organization was small-stayed, which part of the strengthening is actually after that adapted as a keen electroplating functions 
.
The new structures, experienced inside the white-brick with brick and molded-stone dressings, was indeed crafted by Robert Walker, region surveyor to have St Martin-in-the-Sphere, and you may centered of the J. J. Bennett & Co. during the 1877–8. (fn. 30) The main creator has been Alfred Bompas, gentleman, from Barnsbury, just who applied for the website with the Urban Panel out-of Really works into the 1876, got the rent of your completed property inside the 1878, and you will attempted to purchase the freehold in the 1879. (fn. 31) not, a circulated membership of one’s the structures says-because if the challenge was indeed available to question-the performs was basically accomplished ‘under the non-public direction’ off Bennett & Co., ‘who is the originators and you can owners of the newest baths’. (fn. 32) Bompas wasn’t, according to his referees, in a position to finance the brand new performing on his own membership, and his reference to Bennetts isn’t identified. (fn. 33)
The development consisted of half a dozen households, five with storage, and also the diving-pool and you can shower curtains trailing, with its entrances within Zero. 104 St-john Roadway. About access (and therefore keeps its group lighting fixtures, even if maybe not the initial attractive iron cresting), an extensive corridor led to the latest diving-pond. Covered by a windows rooftop, it counted on 90ft by 30ft, having an effective 7ft strong-stop. The newest pond try light-tiled together with a decorative dolphin’s direct water feature similarly. Ranged along the poolside had been dressing-boxes and you will ‘other conveniences’, and a lot more than was free galleries on the a couple of levels for every with fourteen individual shower curtains for males and ladies respectively. Good demountable flooring anticipate this new pond for use to own conferences during the winter, swimming-actually indoors-getting obviously still a regular recreation. (fn. 34)
This new shower curtains closed-in 1896, and you can off then before seventies was filled by Age. C. Furby & Sons, electroplaters and enamellers of bicycle pieces, the old slipper shower enclosures providing way to plating shower curtains. (fn. 35) Furby’s premises had been advertised lost of the fire from inside the 1919. (fn. 36) Absolutely nothing of the original pool and shower curtains endures today.
No. twenty seven
Which brief warehouse and you may workshop (Sick. 550) try erected into the 1879 to possess William and you may Francis Hudden, tin-plate specialists and you will gear merchants away from St John’s Lane, whoever firm went on so you can trade there before the later 1950s. Brand new architects had been Samuel Parr and you can Alfred Pope Strong from Finsbury Square, the newest creator John Grover of new Northern Road. (fn. 37)
No. 30
The initial strengthening, a bike warehouse of c. 1888, try filled out of 1906 by the shopfitters Elizabeth. Pollard & Co. It was remodeled to own Pollards inside 1919–20 as his or her ‘City’ showrooms; today’s granite and you can timber shopfront try afterwards and you will is actually probably extra because of the corporation throughout the 1930s. (fn. 38)
Pennybank Spaces
It part block, comprising Nos 31–33 Clerkenwell Roadway and 33–thirty five St John’s Square, is erected for the 1879–80 of the National Cent Lender Co. Ltd and you can provided storage and you can artisans’ homes, plus a part to the financial (Unwell. 559). It absolutely was designed by the fresh architects Charles Henman and you may William Harrison, and you may centered from the Aitchison & Walker regarding St John’s Timber. The foundation stone is actually applied in-may 1879 from the HRH Little princess Religious away from SchleswigHolstein (exactly who acquired good commemorative trowel, inlaid with silver cents and figure off a beneficial workman that have a lender book, showing ‘the stamina of your penny’). (fn. 39)