Long Bridges Bathing Place - Oxford Heritage Asset Register Nominations List

Location

Location of Long Bridges Bathing Place on Google Maps

What is it?

• a monument or site (an area of archaeological remains or a structure other than a building)
• a place (e.g. a street, park, garden or natural space)

Why is it interesting?

• Historic interest – a well documented association with a person, event, episode of history, or local industry

Located on one of the larger side-streams from the River Thames just north of Donnington Bridge Road, Long Bridges Bathing Place is one of few remaining nineteenth century bathing places in Oxford which retains physical reminders of its past- namely concrete walled banks which are evidence of the “boundaries” of the former Bathing Place. The site forms part of the Long Bridges Nature Park, and the western bank which is situated on an “island” is accessible from slightly further North on the Thames River Path. It was often accessed by visitors on-foot, by bike or by ferry.

The interest in Long Bridges, like at Tumbling Bay, lies in its ability to illustrate past leisure and bathing practices in Oxford which have sadly been lost in time. Whilst physical features at Long Bridges are not as well-preserved as at Tumbling Bay, both are increasingly rare representations of nineteenth century bathing culture and practices in Oxford and more widely across the UK.

River swimming has been a common practice in Oxford for centuries, however it was only in the 1840s when “official” river bathing places were first authorised. Not considered “formal” swimming pools, these spaces were designated areas where people could swim, bathe, and engage in recreational activities. Alongside the first bathing places to be opened at St Ebbe’s and Tumbling Bay, Long Bridges was another (slightly later) designated bathing place, although the exact date of its designation is unknown.

The bathing place enjoyed substantial popularity as a place for bathing, paddling, children’s swimming lessons and general days out. At its peak, the area would have had changing rooms & WCs, bathing huts, steps, ladders and perhaps diving boards. More than just a bathing place, the area would also be seen as a social space and would be used by the community for recreation and relaxation during the summer months. However, as hygiene standards and medical advice improved during the twentieth century and indoor pools became more common, public attitudes towards outdoor bathing changed. The area fell into disuse and was eventually closed at the end of the 1980s, as residents were encouraged to swim in chlorinated pools instead.

Despite its closure, the area is still used today for swimming, rowing, canoeing and other waterbased activities as well as by the local community for walks, sunbathing, and picnics- particularly during the summer months. Small local groups such as Friends of Long Bridges Nature Park and Oxford Bathing Places Coalition are evidence of the former bathing place’s ongoing importance to the local community, and volunteer work parties have been established to maintain both the bathing site and the wider Long Bridges Nature Park to ensure its continued use for years to come.

Why is it locally valued?

• Association: It connects us to people and events that shaped the identity or character of the area
• Illustration: It illustrates an aspect of the area’s past that makes an important contribution to its identity or character
• Evidence: It is an important resource for understanding and learning about the area’s history
• Communal: It is important to the identity, cohesion, spiritual life or memory of all or part of the community

As stated above, the asset is highly valued by the community- both during its heyday as a community asset and space for socialising, and today as evidenced by the local groups which have been established to protect it. Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, there has also been a rise in popularity of “wild” swimming, and the associated benefits to both mental and physical health. The rise in interest in open water swimming can be linked to the recent designation of Wolvercote Mill Stream as a Bathing Water Site in 2022, although the site’s water quality is still considered “poor”. Nevertheless, the designation can be seen as a manifestation of the resurgence in public interest in “wild” swimming spots such as at Long Bridges.

The bathing place is an also asset which evokes a sense of nostalgia for many residents who remember bathing there as children. Stories of Long Bridges alongside other bathing places across Oxford have been celebrated in the Museum of Oxford’s recent exhibition “Dive In!” which illustrates Oxford’s rich bathing and leisure history and its value to the community. As many of these sites no longer exist, or otherwise have any physical connections to their former status as bathing places, the exhibition is an important collation of photos, records and oral histories which celebrate this particular facet of Oxford’s outdoor leisure history. Long Bridges is one of few locations which still has physical ties to Oxford’s leisure and bathing culture in the nineteenth century.

What makes its local significance special?

• Rarity
• Oxford’s identity

Whilst not especially old in Oxford-terms, Long Bridges Bathing Place, alongside other former open bathing spaces such as Tumbling Bay, is a physical reminder of Oxford’s leisure and bathing culture of the nineteenth century, and still has value today as a spot for swimming, fishing, picnics, or more generally as a space to walk through or sit and enjoy the tranquillity of the outdoors Nominate a Heritage Asset whilst finding yourself “immersed” in history.

The recent spotlight on these spaces and practices within Museum of Oxford’s “Dive In!” exhibition, as well as growing public interest in “wild” swimming, has given places like Long Bridges Bathing Place a new lease of life. Their connection to social and leisure history within Oxford and the history of outdoor swimming and leisure more widely across the UK should be celebrated through their addition to the OHAR.