These typical Victorian-style Turkish baths remained in use until November 2022 and retain their original tiling and faience work, which is of unusually good quality.

The cooling room is the centrepiece of the complex and retains the original concrete plunge bath and steps, lined in white-glazed bricks.

Construction was carried out by William Johnstone of Carlisle at a total cost of £2,500; the tiling and faience work was by Minton and Hollins of Stoke-on-Trent.

The organisation described them as "an increasingly rare example of a once common building form, of which only around 20 remain in England; it compares very favourably with the eight existing listed Turkish Baths".

[7] The adjacent swimming pool complex had already been sold for development, which increased the costs of running the baths as a standalone attraction.

[5] The closure left only eleven operational Turkish baths in the UK, out of around 700 originally built, and only eight remaining open to the public.

[7] The campaigners hope to turn the site into a health and wellbeing centre, with one of the pools converted into a hydrotherapy facility, and treatment rooms and an ice grotto installed.

[2] The campaign hopes that local government changes, which will see the city come under Cumberland Council from April 2023, may lead to a reconsideration of the closure.