Liverpool’s Lost Baths, where you could see real dolphins

A lost Liverpool swimming pool loved by generations in the city was also a place where you could once see real dolphins.

In April 1936, the William Roberts Baths – better known as the Broadway Baths – were officially opened in Norris Green. The site came just months before its identical Harold Davies Baths opened in Dovecot.

Both baths are noted for having plunge pools and three pools, with a tiled walkway separating the large adult pools from the two smaller swimming areas, the ECHO previously reported. For decades, many children have headed there to learn to swim or spend weekends with their friends.

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It’s been over 30 years since William Roberts Baths closed in 1993 due to structural issues. Left behind is the boxing and weight room available for use at the facility.

But despite a campaign in which a petition attracted 10,000 signatures to save the baths, the baths remained closed. The building was demolished a few years later.

Over the years, many happy memories have been made on the site. But if you grew up in the 1970s, you may remember that bathrooms had an interesting appeal.

Bizarrely, in the early 1970s, the baths were used to stage a show involving dolphins. A 350kg dolphin, naturally named Flipper, had been part of a show that also visited Garston Baths.

Have you ever visited? Let us know in the comments section below.

An advert for the show was printed in the Liverpool Echo in 1973. The advert read: ‘Flipper and his friends are back for the sensational FLORIDA DOLPHIN SHOW! All the way from the USA, the FLORIDA DOLPHIN SHOW returns to Liverpool again.

“Come and marvel at this world famous troop of dolphins as they perform their amazing tricks. They will be at William Roberts Baths (Norris Green) from 29th January to 28th February.”

One image gives a glimpse of the show 50 years ago. You can see a trainer at the edge of the pool keeping an eye on the dolphins at Norris Green Baths.

Whenever photos of the now-lost bathrooms surfaced on social media, they always sparked nostalgic memories for those lucky enough to use the bathrooms back in the day. A loaded photo of a now-demolished Liverpool swimming pool previously triggered a flood of fantastic childhood memories.

On the Liverpool Memories and History Facebook page, one particular color photograph showed the swimming baths in their heyday, packed with people enjoying the pool as sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows into the blue water below. At the time, one woman posted: “Wow, brought back memories of taking my sister there, walking around of course, coming home wet and wet hair.”

A second woman said: “I loved those bathrooms in the 60s. Three swimming pools. The diving pool was the best. I think it was about 12 feet deep. Now you only have leisure pools about 4ft/5ft deep”.

A third woman replied: “Great bathrooms, lots of space for swimming used to go in the morning before the kids come in from school.” A fourth woman said: “I learned to swim there. After we moved from Norris Green we used to go from Kirkby to the baths and stay for hours and then go home.’

While one woman commented: “Omg!!! What a blast from the past, love this… happy days swimming there!” And one man posted: “My wife learned to swim in those baths in the 50s.”

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