WHO WE ARE
A bit of History
The Eastway Public Baths opened to the public in 1935, during a period when the provision of public bathing facilities became a priority for many local authorities due to growing awareness regardinxg public health. With domestic washing facilities still scarce at the time, the art deco building provided 24 slipper baths (six of which were first-class) for each sex organised into two wings, complete with waiting rooms and toilets.
Today, the former women’s wing houses our Civic Classroom, while the first-class section has been converted into the men’s toilets. The former men’s wing now serves as the corridor and studio space leading to the garden, with our kitchen occupying its first-class area. Originally, the space also included a ticket office, administrative offices, a small café, and second-floor accommodation for the resident engineer. Another part of the project was a stand-alone laundry building, located just to the East, which is currently used as artists’ studios, operated by Space Studios.
By the 1970s, private bathrooms had become the norm, leading to wide-spread closure of public bath buildings. The Eastway Baths ceased operation in 1974. Over the following two decades, the building served as a local community space, accommodating various events and activities. In 1994, it was redeveloped and opened as the council-operated Hackney Wick Community Centre, which functioned until 2009. After three years of dormancy, the building re-opened as the Cre8 Lifestyle Centre, a multi-functional event space run by the London Coaching Foundation. In 2017, the space became The Old Baths, featuring a café, a gallery, an event space, a darkroom, and a film & photography studio. In 2020, the building was taken over by Civic State. Renamed simply The Baths, it became the successor to Stour Space—an important cultural & community centre operating on Fish Island from 2009 to 2019. In 2023, its name was changed to The Bath House.
FAQ’S
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We have a cafe that serves Veggie and Vegan treats, dishes and snacks. Our food availability varies from day to day, but we will put our signs detailing what is available and when each day. We also have a fully stocked bar, with cocktails, draught beers and freshly blended drinks available. We also have a water station at the end of the bar which is accessible at all times for free water.
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No. We are first and foremost a community space. You are not obliged to buy anything when coming to our venue. We have free water available, many friendly faces and plenty of books, chess boards and a piano for your amusement!
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> If so, please get in contact with our events manager at events@civicstate.co.uk
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We have an accessible toilet, a female and male toilet. Toilet gender divides can be changed upon request of event. The female toilet normally has 4 cubicles inside. The male toilet has 4 urinals and two cubicles.
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We have two resident cats within the premises, Smudge (black and white) and Michael (ginger tab). They are both friendly cats. We allow dogs into the venue but please be aware that we do have cats and other customers in the venue, so please keep your dogs on a lead when inside.
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The Bath House is home to many a studio holder. These studio holders will often be in the building at any given time. They may have to pass through the general spaces to access their studio’s or equipment. Please let the person your booking your event with know if you have specific privacy requests.