Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Goa's Daugim Cross
The two 36-inch refracting lenses in the Lick Observatory telescope are among the largest ever built.
James Lick’s Grave
The Lagoda
Human figures at Miculla Petroglyphs
Miculla Petroglyphs
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
about 20 hours ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
3 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
4 days ago
Jeremy Bentham’s Auto-Icon in its new location in 2020
The Jeremy Bentham Auto-Icon: Why This Legendary Philosopher Put His Own Body on Display
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England South Yorkshire The Birley Spa Bathhouse

The Birley Spa Bathhouse

This old Victorian bathhouse is fed by an ancient spring.

South Yorkshire, England

Added By
Alan Newman
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Birley Spa, June 2019   fionafriendsofbirleyspa / Atlas Obscura User
Birley Spa, June 2019   fionafriendsofbirleyspa / Atlas Obscura User
The Birley Spa Bathhouse.   Gregory Deryckère/cc by-sa 3.0
Birley Spa, October 2019   fionafriendsofbirleyspa / Atlas Obscura User
Spring water issues from under the building.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
The Birley Spa Bathhouse.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Birley Spa, December 2019   fionafriendsofbirleyspa / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

 

Birley Spa is a wonderful Victorian Bathhouse that has often been described as the best-kept secret in Sheffield. The site has a long, but largely unknown history.

In 1952 archaeologist L.H. Butcher found flint microliths in this area, ( Birley Spa Place) possibly arrowheads or tools dating from the Mesolithic era, part of the stone age.

Local legend states that this site once housed a Roman Bath, with some believing the pool in the Bath House today is from Roman times. It is not, but the site of the Roman road, Ryknield Way close by indicates that they were very likely aware of the spring.

It is mentioned in historical texts from the 18th century that the therapeutic attributes of the Birley Spa waters had been known of for hundreds of years, both for bathing and drinking. But the first record of a building for the purpose of bathing was 1701. This simple square stone building contained a small round bath and the door could be locked from the inside with a bolt, to ensure the bathers privacy. This building was built by a Mr Sutcliffe, possibly a doctor and/or a quaker. This building was still shown on maps as intact as late as the 1790s. But by the early 1800s was shown to be a pile of stones with a pool in the hollow. A stone bearing the inscription 1701, believed to be from the building, was found later being used as part of the supporting wall of the pond. Sadly this has since been lost.

In 1734 Dr Thomas Short of Sheffield, in his book entitled Mineral Waters of England, mentions Birley Spa in the same sentence as Buxton, an indication of the high regard its waters were held in.

The 2nd Earl of Manvers Charles Herbert Pierrepoint succeeded to his position in 1816 and Hackenthorpe and Birley Spa were part of his not inconsiderable estate. The local residents were well aware of the curative power of the waters.  They implored the earl to develop the site so that people from far and wide could benefit.

Plans were drawn up and work was started with no expense spared to build a most commodious establishment. The design was in the Dutch style, very popular at the time, making use of the ravines’ natural topography to have the first floor access to the hotel at ground level with the bathing pools underneath. There was a cold stone bath with steps into it, which remains today, also a heated pool, there may have been more as various services were provided.  A committee was set up of local businessmen, including Thomas Staniforth  of the Sickle Works to oversee the running of the Bath house. They appointed George Eadon and his wife to run the Spa and hotel.

The Spa opened to great acclaim on 1st May 1843.  Lord Portland of Welbeck was one amongst several notable visitors. Guests could make use of the Hotel facilities before and after their bathing experience and Mrs Eadon made sure they were all treated to coffee and bread and butter.

Despite best efforts the Spa never became a financial success, over time proprietors changed, prices were dropped, all to no avail. The hotel closed in 1878 and was converted to two cottages some time later, the heated pool had been removed by 1895. 

In 1912 the 4th earl, Charles Pierrepoint put the bath house up for sale, it was purchased in 1913 by George Moulson. Together with his partner William Smith they developed the Childrens Pleasure grounds. They dug out around the stream to make a pond that was used as a boating lake, above it was a paddling pool. In the garden was a wishing well, there were swings at the other side of the building and a sandpit. There was also a Wonder Tree, a gnarly and twisted old oak where, it was claimed, you could make out pictures of animals in its branches. Entrance to the pleasure grounds was through a turnstile and tea and hot water were available. Although this is not shown on the original plans, there is evidence that tennis courts and a pavilion were added at a later date.

The pleasure grounds appear to have been the most successful era for the Spa, for working class families, Sunday school trips etc., it catered to a huge audience and had many returning visitors.

At the outbreak of WWII a law was passed prohibiting people congregating in groups, due to the threat of air raids, this forced the closure of the grounds, never to reopen.

Following boundary changes in the 1950s the whole area came under Sheffield City Council.

28th June 1973 the building was awarded Grade II Listed status.

Shire Brook Conservation Group and Shire Brook Heritage Groups were formed in 1989 following the Countryside Management  Unit rediscovering “The Lost Valley”

A 1998 bid, for National Lottery Heritage funding to restore the building was successful. This is mostly attributed to the hard work and passion of Alan Bailey, who had worked as a volunteer 7 days a week for many years across the whole Shire Brook valley. He was awarded an MBE in the same year for his efforts.

The restoration took much longer than expected but in July 2002, the Spa was opened as a community space to great fanfare, again.

The roof was badly damaged by lead thieves shortly after, the railing fence then appeared. The building soon fell into despair amidst claims that the the community had no interest in it. 

Friends of Birley Spa was formed in September 2018 in response to the councils' intention to sell the building. The Spa is now an Asset of Community Value. Work has started to restore the grounds and it is hoped an application for funding to restore the Bathhouse once and for all will be submitted soon.

Related Tags

England Bathhouse Spring Nature Woods Victorian

Know Before You Go

Due to the state of the building, at the present time, it is only open for certain events, please check website for details. The grounds are publicly accessible all year round, there is an abundance of wildlife to see and some beautiful walks in the area.

Community Contributors

Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

fionafriendsofbirleyspa

  • fionafriendsofbirleyspa

Published

November 5, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Birley Spa Bathhouse
5 Dyke Vale Ave
South Yorkshire, England
United Kingdom
53.347495, -1.385328
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

'Iron Henry'

Sheffield, England

miles away

Catcliffe Glass Cone

Catcliffe, England

miles away

Bishops' House

Sheffield, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

'Iron Henry'

Sheffield, England

miles away

Catcliffe Glass Cone

Catcliffe, England

miles away

Bishops' House

Sheffield, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

England

Places 2

Related Places

  • A swimmer floats in the pool formed by the 30-foot crack in the riverbed.

    Homosassa, Florida

    The Crack on the Chassahowitzka River

    A hidden paradise in one of Florida’s most unique rivers.

  • Three Sisters Springs is the only place in the United States where visitors can legally interact with wild manatees.

    Crystal River, Florida

    Three Sisters Springs

    This natural spring is the winter home to the largest gathering of manatees in the world.

  • Sulphur Springs

    Sulphur Springs, New Mexico

    Sulphur Springs

    It’s hard to believe this hostile landscape was once a health resort.

  • Divers gear up for an aquatic adventure at the Blue Grotto.

    Williston, Florida

    Blue Grotto

    Discover diverse aquatic life and befriend resident turtles at this private diving grotto in north Florida.

  • Wilmington, Delaware

    Enchanted Woods at Winterthur Gardens

    An award-winning children’s garden enchants visitors at the intersection of natural beauty and fairy tales.

  • Montauk Springs

    Joy, Missouri

    Montauk Springs

    Around 50 million gallons of water flow from this spring every day.

  • Alley grist mill.

    Eminence, Missouri

    Alley Spring Mill

    A historic, scenic mill that was forced to close due to overlogging.

  • Considered the bluest spring in Missouri.

    Ellington, Missouri

    Blue Spring

    One of the deepest springs in Missouri.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.