A Sensory History of Bramley Baths (1904-1992)

Sophia Lambert is leading a guided tour of Bramley Baths on Saturday 17 October, from 2pm to 3pm. It's called A Sensory History of Bramley Baths (1904-1992), and it does exactly what the title says: it works through the building's architectural and social history, focusing on the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that defined it across the twentieth century.

Bramley Baths is the last Edwardian bath house in Leeds, built in 1904. It's a Grade II listed building, and it only still exists because the community took it over after the council tried to close it in 2011. The tour takes you through the space, stopping at the famous stained-glass windows and digging into the stories that happened here beyond the swimming — dances, football matches and even a donkey that once appeared on stage. It finishes with a display of historic photographs and archival material, and you're invited to share your own memories to help grow the Baths' community archive.

The walk is part of #morethanapool, a heritage participation project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund that's piloting new activities around heritage, health and wellbeing, arts and culture. Sophia Lambert, who leads it, is a PhD researcher in the social and cultural history of Leeds and Bradford and the founder of @LeedsHiddenHeritage, an Instagram account devoted to the city's famous and forgotten buildings.

It runs from 2pm to 3pm at Bramley Baths, Broad Lane, Leeds, LS13 3DF, and tickets are £6.