THESE historic photographs of Rowntree Park Baths in York chart the once-popular swimming pool's decline over a decade.

In the first picture a group of youngsters splash about in the open air pool when it opened for the summer season in 1973, although chilly winds kept down the number of early visitors.

The water temperature at the time was about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, about seven degrees below the normal temperature.

In 1972 attendance figures were up at the pool, boosted by visitors to the caravan site at Rowntree Park.

The second picture, shows some of these bathers enjoying a dip at the pool.

The picture of devastation, taken after the floods in the winter 1981, show how much the pool area had declined since its closure in the late 1970s. The site was later redeveloped.

The last picture goes back further, to 1971, when nearly a quarter of a million gallons of water were pumped out as part of a big clean-up.

Baths foreman Frank Hardcastle had a four-day job of cleaning the tiles and bleaching the pool floor.

After that the baths were refilled - slowly - so that the water supply to Bishopthorpe was not adversely affected.

Updated: 11:56 Friday, May 31, 2002