Victorians in Largs benefitted from the height of splendour with the very best in bathing facilities during the first half of the 19th century.

Some of the early ventures in Largs to provide baths for the public were documented in an article which appeared in a January 1962 edition of the ‘News’.

Mr James H Colquhoun, 56 Wilson Street, wrote about the emergence of public baths for cleaning, and not for swimming, during the 19th century.

The first baths, stated Mr Colquhoun, were at the Bath Hall, erected by public subscription in 1812 at a cost of £2000.

The building, late to become The Brisbane Centre, contained spray baths, coffee room, library, and reader’s room, with a caretaker’s house which is now The Green Shutter’s tearoom.

The charges were 1s 6d for a hot spray bath, and 1s for a cold one. The yearly subscription was £1 1s.

However, the baths and other enterprises were closed down, and the buildings were bought by William Harper, later to be owned by Provost David Harper.

As well as one being a dance hall and roller-skating rink, the Brisbane Centre was the local branch of the Toch H during the second world war before going on to become the town’s library up until the 1980s. Today, it hosts many local community events including the Largs Players comedy theatre.

The closure of the baths at the Brisbane Centre resulted in a Mr Birkfield, who had a barber’s shop in Main Street, on the site of the upper branch of the National Commercial Bank, installed three ‘plunge’ baths. A hot bath cost 1s.

Mr Birkfield left at about the start of the Great War in 1914, and Mr Alexander Brown, who had come to work for him, carried on the business.

The next attempt at providing baths in Largs was made by William Marshall, the gas manager, who reported to the Town Council that he could supply all the hot water necessary for the baths proposed to be built on the site of the showroom, but the project never got started.

The last attempt was what Mr Colquhoun described as ‘that white elephant’ at the shore - the bathing station.

He said that the building was only to be half the scheme - a pond was to have been built in front but the first south westerly wind soon put paid to that plan!

The sea washed into the kitchen on the ground floor and smashed all the cubicle doors.

“By that time,” the council concluded, “they had built the station in the wrong place.” However, the bathing station area became a popular visiting spot in the 1950s and 60s as it included Frank Roche’s zoo, and aquarium, and is keenly remembered.

Mr Colquhoun concluded: “In the old days, very few houses had bathrooms, but now with the erection of bungalows, and housing scehems most people have bathrooms in their houses. But there are still a lot of old houses without bathrooms, where the tub has to be brought into the kitchen.” * In 1958, St Columba’s Parish Church Fellowship had a most interesting evening “Hearin’ Aboot Auld Largs” from Mr Duncan Brown. Mr Brown traced Largs to the days when the Romans resided by its shores. He spoke of the finds of old Roman coins and paving underneath the Post Office in Main Street in 1820; also of a Roman well found in Nelson Street. Many old buildings were commented upon including an ancient inn called “The Brisbane Arms” which was used by smugglers, and from these coaches left for the south. The Brisbane Arms was later to become The George.

A link with the days of an active church in Skelmorlie Aisle was discovered in the walls of a shop in Main Street, according to Mr Brown. A red sandstone fireplace was found as well as a doorway, remnants of a “Kirk House”, leading to the precincts of the aisle.

Victorians in Largs benefitted from the height of splendour with the very best in bathing facilities during the first half of the 19th century.

Some of the early ventures in Largs to provide baths for the public were documented in an article which appeared in a January 1962 edition of the ‘News’.

Mr James H Colquhoun, 56 Wilson Street, wrote about the emergence of public baths for cleaning, and not for swimming, during the 19th century.

The first baths, stated Mr Colquhoun, were at the Bath Hall, erected by public subscription in 1812 at a cost of £2000.

The building, late to become The Brisbane Centre, contained spray baths, coffee room, library, and reader’s room, with a caretaker’s house which is now The Green Shutter’s tearoom.

The charges were 1s 6d for a hot spray bath, and 1s for a cold one. The yearly subscription was £1 1s.

However, the baths and other enterprises were closed down, and the buildings were bought by William Harper, later to be owned by Provost David Harper.

As well as one being a dance hall and roller-skating rink, the Brisbane Centre was the local branch of the Toch H during the second world war before going on to become the town’s library up until the 1980s. Today, it hosts many local community events including the Largs Players comedy theatre.

The closure of the baths at the Brisbane Centre resulted in a Mr Birkfield, who had a barber’s shop in Main Street, on the site of the upper branch of the National Commercial Bank, installed three ‘plunge’ baths. A hot bath cost 1s.

Mr Birkfield left at about the start of the Great War in 1914, and Mr Alexander Brown, who had come to work for him, carried on the business.

The next attempt at providing baths in Largs was made by William Marshall, the gas manager, who reported to the Town Council that he could supply all the hot water necessary for the baths proposed to be built on the site of the showroom, but the project never got started.

The last attempt was what Mr Colquhoun described as ‘that white elephant’ at the shore - the bathing station.

He said that the building was only to be half the scheme - a pond was to have been built in front but the first south westerly wind soon put paid to that plan!

The sea washed into the kitchen on the ground floor and smashed all the cubicle doors.

“By that time,” the council concluded, “they had built the station in the wrong place.” However, the bathing station area became a popular visiting spot in the 1950s and 60s as it included Frank Roche’s zoo, and aquarium, and is keenly remembered.

Mr Colquhoun concluded: “In the old days, very few houses had bathrooms, but now with the erection of bungalows, and housing scehems most people have bathrooms in their houses. But there are still a lot of old houses without bathrooms, where the tub has to be brought into the kitchen.” * In 1958, St Columba’s Parish Church Fellowship had a most interesting evening “Hearin’ Aboot Auld Largs” from Mr Duncan Brown. Mr Brown traced Largs to the days when the Romans resided by its shores. He spoke of the finds of old Roman coins and paving underneath the Post Office in Main Street in 1820; also of a Roman well found in Nelson Street. Many old buildings were commented upon including an ancient inn called “The Brisbane Arms” which was used by smugglers, and from these coaches left for the south. The Brisbane Arms was later to become The George.

A link with the days of an active church in Skelmorlie Aisle was discovered in the walls of a shop in Main Street, according to Mr Brown. A red sandstone fireplace was found as well as a doorway, remnants of a “Kirk House”, leading to the precincts of the aisle.