*Historical* Bathing parties in Carshalton would be held in lavish surroundings, and the Bagnio on the grounds of Carshalton House was visited back in the 1770s by the influential writer Horace Walpole (pictured below). He built and lived in the beautiful gothic Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham.

🗝️ The Carshalton bathhouse was most likely designed by Sir John Vanburgh, circa 1721. The man also responsible for the splendid Blenheim Palace where wartime leader Winston Churchill was born, along with the huge cinematic Castle Howard near York.

🗝️ The plunge pool is a rare survivor, and surrounded with quality marble, and blue and white Delft tiles, designed with 5 different Dutch and Chinese vases.

🗝️ We’ve mocked up how it may have looked filled up with soft Wandle water.

The bathhouse is available to visit or hire via Friends of Carshalton Water Tower