Humford Woods swimming baths

[eddie21455]

huford baths

[eddie21455]

humford baths

[dolly dimples]

Love the hair- pin bend photo Eddie,
                 Had a few scary moments going down there in Winter.
                                                       Dolly
               

[emmadog]

Hi Eddie, what a nice picture of the hairpin bend.  My grandad lived down the woods to the left of the pic.  I can't remember them looking like that, no houses there but it must have been after 1957 that he moved there and about 1970ish  when he left.  He had a smallholding and kept chickens and turkeys (fattened up for christmas).  He also grew vegetable of which a lot went to the school dinners.  Everytime we had rhubarb I thought I might have picked it!!!

[emmadog]

Sorry forgot that my dad used to go up there on his bike and I had to cycle with him every Sunday on my little bike, I would be about 8 or 9.  One awful journey as then I had to ride home to Cowpen Quay at the end of the day.

My uncle and aunt also lived at the top of the bank near the pub.

[Northerngirl]

Hi MalCommon.

I remember the Humford Woods and the open air baths very well .  We lived in Bedlington and just up from the Picnic Field at Hollymount.We used to spend our summer time holidays down there as much as we could. I think it was about a penny to get in and you had to pay and push your way through the turnstile.

There were two pools.  One that had what looked like black liquid tar and presumably was the filter pool. Yuk! That was at the back of the swimming pool. 

There were changing closets that were painted green if I remember correctly.  They were used to change out of your wet costume - which you always wore (dry of course) under your clothes to make it quicker to get into the water when you got there.  The cubicles doors had a gap an the bottom and top - presumably to let the light in and to let the wood dry off. 

I remember the diving board.  My brother jumped in once and split his lip open.  There was blood every where.  I can remember the dead flies floating on the top of the water too.

I can also remember being very, very, very  jealous of the kids who had the very large black tyre as a float. That makes it the mid 1960's.

They were great times.  You did have to brave yourself to jump into the cold water for the first time.  I used to love to try to make our shouts echo around the pool area.  When the sun was very hot you used to sit out on the hot concrete and get warmed up and dried off a little before jumping back into the cold water.

The family called Marley managed the baths but moved out when the whole place became abandoned.   

There used to be a scouts camp at the back of the baths and into the woods.  After you finished at the baths you would jump across the stepping stones and back.  Then it was back up the bank or if you were brave you'd sneak through the woods to the Picnic Field; but didn't dare tell ya' Mam.

Good times and lovely memories.

[Wilkinson]

Used to visit the baths at Humford Woods regularly in the 50's. Lived in New Delaval so we either cycled or walked up the lanes to Horton Church. Further along the road on the opposite side to the Church you could cross a field, drop down to the river and cross over the stepping stones to the baths. Often if you got there at opening time we had the baths to ourselves.  Happy carefree days.
There was also an old drift mine tunnel further up the river but sensibly we never ventured into it.
Rob

[lesjxxx]

Triciak. Your right there were no buses that went past the Woods, we as kids, if we were lucky would hitch a lift from the driver on the back of Woods pop van who went up that road very frequently. Romantic? well we did meet quite a few of the lads up there!

    The woods are pretty much the same, if not a little worse for wear, but at the Bedlington end there is a place set out for barbecues.  also small play area, well that was a few year back.   Dollyn

    Me and my brother lived at the house opposite the side entrance to the baths for a while with foster parents 1968.

[lesjxxx]

I lived in the house opposite the baths side entrance 1968.