Jacobs Wells Baths in Bristol gets £250k from the National Lottery for restoration into an arts and education center.
The grant is specifically £252,877. It supports restoring Jacobs Wells Baths and helps develop the idea further. They may get £2.2 million in a second funding phase.
Trinity Community Arts received the grant. This charity runs Trinity Church as an arts venue and now leads a similar Hotwells project. They will transform Jacobs Wells Baths into a vibrant space for the community, offering arts, education, and activities.
The baths opened in 1889, fulfilling Bristol people’s desire for more bathhouse facilities. It was a public pool for almost 100 years, then became a dance center.
The building is Grade II-listed and still has huge cast-iron tanks. Springs fill these tanks with 60,000 gallons of water. The building needs saving now, as a prior restoration plan failed and the council listed it to be sold in 2018.
A community group formed to save the baths and stopped the sale. The council gave it to Trinity in 2023 under a 35-year lease.
A new future is planned for the community, creating an arts and education hub. The grant boosts the project and funds a project manager. Plans will reflect community input, and they will apply for a larger grant.
Trinity trustee Fidel Meraz is happy about the grant, calling it a key moment. He believes it will help bring back the building as an important community space.
Council leader Tony Dyer is also happy, remarking that restoring the baths has made progress. The baths matter to Hotwells and all of Bristol, having served people for over a century. He looks forward to continued work with Trinity.
Trinity secured £1.8 million so far. This includes government and local funding. More funding is still needed to finish the restoration. People can donate to the project to help restore and secure this space.