Life in London in the 18th century could be pretty uncomfortable. The summers could get brutally hot, there was no air conditioning, and the streets were filthy. It was just the sort of place that would make a lot of people want to go for a swim. The trouble was that the major waterways of London, like the Thames, were also unsanitary. The city was ready for some bold new swimming-related ideas. And, on May 28, 1742, it got one: the first indoor swimming pool.

There had been indoor places to bathe since the previous century, such as the popular Bagnios or Turkish Bath Houses. However, they were just for bathing, and they were kept hot enough to make customers work up a sweat, which was not so appealing during the warmer parts of the year. Then, in 1742, The Daily Advertiser carried an announcement saying, “This day is opened, at the Bagnio in Lemon Street, Goodman’s Fields: The Pleasure or Swimming Bath, which is more than forty-three feet in length.”

There were actually two pools at the Bagnio. One was kept chilled for people who wanted to beat the heat. The other was kept warm for people who wanted to relax sore muscles or warm up during the chillier parts of the year. The waters of both were refreshed every day, making the pools much cleaner than the rivers of the city. The subscription price was a guinea, which meant that only the wealthier inhabitants of the city were likely to get to enjoy the pools.