Future of a landmark 1960's 'pond life' mural mosaic at old Halifax swimming pool remains uncertain

The mosaic, a mid-1960s ceramic mural titled British Pond Life by Kenneth Barden, features in the wall of the old Halifax Swimming Baths at Skircoat Road.

At the moment the building is closed, having ceased to operate through the pandemic and it was earmarked for demolition with a new multi-million pool and leisure centre to be built on the site of an existing sports complex at North Bridge, Halifax, which is also currently closed pending demolition.

But with escalating building inflation costs pushing the cost of the project up into uncertain levels, the council has had to pause the new North Bridge Leisure Centre project, which would have incorporated a replacement swimming baths for the town.

This means a full review is being carried out over the course of the next year of Halifax leisure provision to see what might be achievable given changing financial constraints – and council Cabinet members have said “nothing is off the table.”

Some people have asked how the situation might affect the mural, which has been an associated issue demolition would have posed.

The pool and mural were both subject of an unsuccessful campaign to save them by the national Twentieth Century Society, with senior Calderdale councillors saying the building, which opened in 1966, was considered too expensive to repair.

It would seem nothing is certain yet, with a spokesperson for the council saying when asked about the mural: “As part of the ongoing review into leisure provision for Halifax, we are considering options for the former Halifax Pool.”