Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Who remembers New Ferry Baths?

Does anyone remember how good it was going to New Ferry Baths in the summer? It was quite a big place with a massive pool and a small park attached, but it used to get packed and there'd be long queues outside. Families would go there for the whole day and as kids we'd be in the water for hours. The deep end was 16ft and there were three high diving boards which only the bravest would use. In the late 50s-early 60s, it was a fantastic day out for us, going there by bus from Birkenhead. I think the baths closed in the 70s and it's now built over.

i went there as a child in the early 70's,there was a slide which had water running down it,which i used a lot because i was too scared to jump of the diving boards,it was very busy at that time too,shame it was closed down.

Yes, I remember New Ferry baths in the late 40's/early 50's, but mostly I found it too cold.

The whole family used to go there in the 70's. Gran would have to get a taxi or with someone in the family who had a car and we'd go on the 64. There was about 20 of us at a time.
One time I went up the diving boards and remember my mum looking for me and I jumped off. needless to say, never done that again, got afraid of heights.
My sister wouldn't go in the water as it was always to cold for her. She'd dip her big toe in to test the water first lol.

They were good days out. What a shame theres nothing on the Wirral like that anymore!! Any open air baths..they were all good fun!!

New Ferry open air swimming pool in the 1950s:

The baths were built in 1932 at a cost of £12,000 and were closed in the 1970s

We used to live not far from the baths by Grove Street school.I remember round the back was a place were we got lifted over the wall by our dad and helped by others inside so we didnt have to pay, lol ! Got pics of us swimming in our nics, how times have changed !

Yes I do it was an open air baths just like the one in Port Sunlight. Now a carpark for the garden centre

I remember it in the 70s when it was closed and vandalised i was very young and wasnt really sure what it was at the time.

I remember looking in when the pool was empty.

Where abouts was this monster?

I haven't been down that way for years, but I'm sure the baths was at the junction of Merseybank Road and Shorefields in New Ferry. At one end of the pool area (near the high diving boards) there was a grassy embankment from where you could look out over the foreshore and see the river (where there was a sunken ship whose masts stuck out at low tide). At the other end, there was a cafe and a park. The whole baths was a huge place and I think it held a million gallons of water. It's such a pity that all trace of it seems to have vanished, because it was an amazingly popular place in its heyday.

I remember going to New Ferry baths in the 60's.I couldn't swim but I used to love going there. I did scare the life out of myself the time I went down the slide and went right under! I came up coughing and spluttering! I did actually swim for the first time there but that same day,I broke my wrist jumping off a ladder in my uncle's garden so I spent the rest of that Summer with my wrist in plaster and by the time the plaster came off,I'd forgotten how to swim!
Angela

Does this help You can see the baths on the old pic, just left of centre.

We used to climb up and walk along the grey dried soil area in the bottom right hand corner (reclaimation pond according to second map).We would then walk along huge pipes too. These were adventures that my dad would take us 3 girls on. Also walked all along the grey edge too. They were great days !!

Does anyone remember Port Sunlight open air pool as well?? On the site of what is now a garden centre, but i am not sure of the name? Maybe green summat??

Port Sunlight Baths was also a brilliant place - especially because the water was heated. We were told the heat came from steam which was piped from the nearby Lever's factory, but I don't know if that was true. Again, as with New Ferry Baths, what a shame it was closed down.