Listed Building record MWX496 - Nottington Spa, Nottington Lane, Nottington

A spa at Nottington is first mentioned in a letter of 1719/20. Until the mid-1700s, the spring issued into a pond, but a Dr Archer of Dorchester placed a collar around it to prevent contamination. An octagonal pump-house was constructed in 1831 and fitted out with baths etc. It was in use until 1911 and is still in good repair. <4>

Thomas Shore is often named as the founder of Nottingham spa. The Salisbury & Winchester Journal reveals the spa house foundation stone on Good Friday 18:30, Thomas Shore laid the stone under the architects direction.

The Chronicle's April 1831 account mentions all the provisions of Nottingham spa were in one house. With the basement, which housed both well and baths has not enough head room for the present generation but remnants of stone carving hint at former public use. The pump room was a high-ceilinged octagon partially divided by a spine wall which stopped short of the outside walls the upper floors each provided one large and two smaller rooms, the limited.

With rapid upsurge and a decade of success were folowed by a largely undocumented decline under different owners. The last known reference to Nottingham spa in the Chronicle are found in the issue of 18th May 1843, the new owner's advertisment. It seems likely that sulphur baths slackened in the later 1840's, was much reduced in the 1850's and ceased soon after 1860. <5>

<1> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 115 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<2> Department of the Environment, 14 June 1974, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of Weymouth and Portland 1974, p 106 (Scheduling record). SWX1839.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 1:1250, 1976 edition OS map (Map). SWX1844.

(SY 6631 8272) Spa House [NAT]

<4> Osborn, G H, 1980, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 102, p19-24 illus (Article in serial). SWX2319.

<5> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1995, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1994, 34-44 (Serial). SDO94.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 868705 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 12:22PM