Ironmonger Row Baths in Islington offers historic Turkish baths and a restored spa

Near Old Street roundabout, in the St Luke's corner of Islington, stands one of London's most cherished public baths. Ironmonger Row Baths has been washing, warming and soothing Londoners since the 1930s, and its restored spa is a fine reason to visit this winter.

The baths were built in two phases. A public wash house and slipper baths opened in 1931, and the second phase, with the main swimming pool, a children's pool and Victorian style Turkish baths, opened in 1938. The architects were AWS and KMB Cross, and the building was listed Grade II in 2006.

The Turkish baths are the star attraction. Their traditional design includes hot rooms at different temperatures, marble slabs for massage and scrubbing, and an icy plunge pool. After a £16 million refurbishment, the complex reopened in December 2012, since when it has been managed by GLL, a charitable social enterprise that works with councils to offer affordable leisure.

The spa, operated by GLL's Spa Experience, reopened in early 2024 after extensive restoration. It now covers 950 square metres, with five treatment rooms and fully restored thermal facilities, with more treatment space planned on the first floor.

The thermal area is split into two zones. The Contemporary Zone features a juniper sauna with a juniper wall and a salt sauna with a salt wall. The Traditional Zone has interlinked hot rooms that get hotter the further in you go, and its plunge pool recovers heat to warm the learner pool. There are also two steam rooms, an ice room, feature showers, Turkish hammam facilities including a couple's wet hammam treatment space, and a relaxation lounge.

A team of 20 therapists offers treatments, and a two hour thermal experience is available. Melissa Evans, national manager at Spa Experience, said the aim is "affordable excellence, and making the facilities and treatments we offer accessible to all." Jeff Le Clos of Sauna360 said that "The number of thermal facilities on offer at IRB is very rare for a central London leisure centre."

The wider centre also has a 30 metre swimming pool, a gym and a branch of the Tom Daley Diving Academy.

Ironmonger Row Baths is at 1 to 11 Ironmonger Row, EC1, near Old Street station. For spa bookings and swim times, visit the Better website.