Project reveals a century of housing history in Bath
Staff have catalogued around 90 metres of records, which are are now available online
A fascinating history of Bath's housing's been uncovered, following a two-year project by staff at the city's Record Office.
They catalogued around 90 metres of records, spanning back more than 100 years of housing history, thanks to more than £170,000 of funding by the research charity, Wellcome.
The project, called Building a Healthier City 2, was awarded funding by the charity to catalogue, conserve and make available the records relating to slum clearance, council housing and renovation of ‘unfit’ properties in the city between 1890 and 1995.
Among the collections now featuring in the project, there's a series featuring plans and photographs relating to the redevelopment of the Snow Hill area and the rebuilding at Lampards Buildings and Dolemeads under the Housing of the Working Classes Act (1890).
Another series features Bath City Council Contracts showing the development of council housing in the city in the twentieth century and records of temporary housing post 1945 and demolition and clearance of bomb-damaged sites.
It's been revealed that Bath City Council was an early adopter of powers to build new properties, building more than 77 homes under the Housing of the Working Classes Act of 1890.
Following the introduction of government subsidies for house building in 1919, Bath Corporation started construction of the first of many new estates.
Councillor Matt McCabe, cabinet member for Built Environment and Sustainable Development, said: “As we write a new chapter in Bath’s Housing History, with our plan for new council house building, this is a fascinating and interesting reminder of our housing history and the great attempts that have been made to improve people’s lives in the past.
“Bath & North East Somerset Council remains focused on creating affordable homes for social rent and this year the first general needs homes owned directly by the council were prioritised for NHS staff working in the electoral ward of Newbridge. The seven apartments at Newbridge Hill are the start of a pipeline of nearly 200 properties which will be delivered through the council’s ‘B&NES Homes’ programme with an initial £12m provided to develop another 50 council houses for rent.”
It's hoped the project will aid research into how unhealthy housing was replaced or renovated.
Councillor Paul Roper, cabinet member for Economic & Cultural Sustainable Development, said: “Delivering new council housing is one of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s core strategies, and this project can help us to understand how different approaches to improving housing and building new houses have worked in the past.
"These fascinating records and photos will also be of interest to residents who want to find out more about the history of the areas in which they live.”
Wellcome also awarded Bath Record Office a Research Enrichment Grant of £17,900 which was used to run a community engagement project called: ‘Imagine: a hundred years of homes in Bath’.
Local community groups attended workshops on architectural drawing, map-making, poetry and clay modelling. Artworks and writing from the project have been added to the collections of the record office, which you can find out more about here.
Wellcome previously awarded Bath Record Office £138,000 to make records available relating to improvements in Bath’s public health from the 1700s to the 1900s. You can find more information Building a Healthier City here.
You can find more information on the project webpage.