Lytham Assembly Rooms

Lytham Assembly Rooms is an impressive building. It’s at Central Beach on Lytham seafront with a glorious dual-aspect frontage onto Lytham Green and Dicconson Terrace. The corner plot it stands on also adjoins the promenade at Central Beach, not far from the windmill.

Surrounded by well kept gardens and beds it’s a lovely spot where people sit on the benches and enjoy the sunshine while watching the world pass by.

Lytham Assembly Rooms Today

Today the building houses community rooms, meeting spaces and offices. Let commercially, offices on the upper floor provide income to support the public rooms. The building now contains flats, assembly rooms, offices and Lytham Yacht Club.

Lytham Town Trust manage the Assembly Rooms. Two beautiful rooms in the building can be hired for functions at very competitive rates. With space for up to 100 people they’re ideal for any kind of private party or community event/meeting.

Created in 1987 after the closure of Lytham Baths, the majority of the current Assembly Rooms is made into private apartments. Thankfully, the attractive frontage was retained when the rest of the baths were demolished in 1990.

Managed by Lytham Town Trust

Lytham Town Trust originally began because of the changes at this much loved building. Granted a lease by Fylde Council, they took over management of the Rooms on 1 January 1991.

• About the Assembly Rooms from Lytham Town Trust

After the closure of the Library on Clifton Street, one of the rooms-to-hire became a library space.

History of Lytham Assembly Rooms

This period building offers a glimpse into past times gone by.

The Assembly Rooms of 1862 was a Baths, Theatre and Assembly Rooms. It’s role was to provide salt water bathing and indoor entertainment to the growing seaside town of Lytham. But the business wasn’t quite successful enough, so eventually the Clifton Estate acquired it.

Roman Numerals

We were a little puzzled about the Roman numerals over the front door. The number there (seen in our photos) is MCMXXVII, is that not 1927?

Many thanks to local historian Nick Moore answered the question, telling us it’s the date when the new baths opened.

The original baths were demolished in 1926 and rebuilt by Lytham St Annes Corporation. The new Lytham Baths had the Assembly Rooms and Yacht Club incorporated into it. With the entrance now re-sited onto Dicconson Terrace, it was opened on 9 June 1928 by Sir William Milligan.

The new baths were once more filled with filtered sea water. They also boasted a sprung-floored ballroom/concert room which could hold up to 350 people, the “Little Theatre”, and a café.

There was a grand Entrance Hall, A Cooling Room and Plombiere, an Ultra-Violet Ray cubicle, a Radiant Heat cubicle, and a Vichy Douche. Plus a Brine Bath, Turkish and Russian Baths, 12 Slipper Baths, and a main plunge pool, which was 75 feet by 31 feet. The main pool was 6 feet 6 inches at the deep end, and 3 feet 3 inches at the shallow end. The capacity of the Bath was about 71,000 gallons, maintained at a uniform temperature. There was dressing accommodation for 60 Bathers in 19 fixed cubicles.

Anything to Add?

Do you know anything else about this building, past or present? Please email jane@theRabbitPatch.co.uk

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