During hot weather, many local people head for rivers, especially the River Avon. Wild swimming is not a new phenomenon locally.
Occasionally, in the past, swimmers misbehaved. In 1798, the proprietor of Grosvenor Gardens issued this stern rebuke in the Bath Chronicle: ‘If any persons are seen bathing in the river near the Gardens, and shall behave themselves indecently in future, their clothes will be seized, and means taken to prosecute them for the offence.’
The canal was the scene of a shocking incident in 1829, when some young men were bathing near the Folly pub ‘and while so engaged, three young ladies happened to come up from the adjoining fields.
On seeing the young ladies, one of the fellows actually rushed out of the water and offered them the greatest indignities.’
For many, however, the best way to enjoy the river is by boat, and Bathwick Boating Station has been a popular place to hire a skiff, canoe or punt for almost 170 years.
Early 19th century maps show a marlpit here, marl being a mudstone rich in calcium carbonate often used as a fertiliser, but also as an important ingredient in lime mortar. It was a popular but dangerous place for river swimming before Cleveland Baths opened in 1817.
Eventually the marlpit became a boat-builder’s yard, which the first owner, James Aust the elder, also ran as a tea garden. His son, also James, had more ambitious ideas, and developed it as ‘tea, pleasure and aquatic gardens’ in 1855.
Aust was probably hoping to benefit from the proximity of Sydney Gardens, but within two years, he was declared bankrupt. The property was acquired by Edward Maynard, a waterman originally from Lambeth, who kept the boat-building and boat hire business going.
At the age of 80, he agreed with the various boating clubs who used the boating station to hand over control to them, and Bath Boating Company was formed. Maynard’s manager and caretaker, Frederick Fisher, was employed to run the boating station, and it is his descendants, the Hardick family, who still run it today.
The first picture is of a regatta at the boating station. Maynard ran such regattas here in the 1880s, at the same time that the photographer, Walter G Lewis, was active, so this appears to date from that time. The women’s hats are consistent with this date.
The second picture shows an Edwardian lady and gentleman being shown to their skiff, with other hirers already enjoying themselves on the river, the lady’s broad-brimmed hat suggesting a date of around 1910.
Finally, we move to the 1920s, with an excited group of girls in a punt, setting off upstream, while other people are chatting away on the bank.
Bathwick Boating Station looks very much the same today and you can still hire boats. It is open from Wednesdays to Sundays, although at the present time you will have to adhere to Covid19 regulations specified on their website.
The Bathwick Boatman Restaurant is also open again, though with limited hours and booking required.
You can learn more about pleasure gardens in No Swinging on Sundays, published by Akeman Press.
Content © Kirsten Elliott & Akeman Press