A unique record of Ripon Spa Baths from local photographer Helen Tabor

Local photographer and graphic designer Helen Tabor has released a book showcasing the beautiful period details of the Ripon Spa Baths.

Her book is a memento of a unique building which has played a key part in Ripon’s history over several decades. Grade II listed, it was opened by royalty in 1905, firstly as a spa, then converted to house a swimming pool in 1936, saving locals from previously having to have ‘sink or swim’ lessons in the River Ure, tied by a rope and winched back to shore if they got into difficulties! Among the many generations of Ripon swimmers who learned and loved to swim in Ripon Spa Baths, Helen herself swam there for 40 years and was keen to capture a selection of images, inside and out, before the building closed in November 2021. Copies are £10, on sale at the Little Ripon Bookshop, Westgate, Ripon.