Forest hill pools roof dragons

Forest hill pools roof dragons

Forest Hill Pools is a beautiful Victorian era leisure centre based in Forest Hill in London. This pool features working baths and the building itself dates back to 1885 when the Earl of Dartmouth officially opened it

Forest_Hill_Victorian_Pools

The building is bustling with architectural details and 2 features that immediately catch the eye are the 2 decorative roof dragons sitting at each gable end at the top of the roof. The dragon on the left hand gable end of the building looks like our very own “Ridge tile dragon” dragon finial which is a very fine replica of a clay original and this building was a point of interest because it shows how well replica dragons and finials work with original features and restore architectural detail

Forest_Hill_Replica_Roof_Dragon

The other dragon on the right hand gable end of the building looks to be an original because it features some weathering consistent with years of rain erosion and moss growth and sits on a more unusual decorative ridge tile whereas modern replicas tend to have a more plain looking ridge for compatibility. The right hand dragon is similar to our very own “Roof dragon finial”

Forest_Hill_Original_Roof_Dragon