Leeds International Pool
sports venue in the UK

The Leeds International Pool often referred to as the Leeds International Baths, was a swimming facility in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England. The pool was situated at the lower end of Westgate and was notable for its brutalist architecture. The pool was constructed in the 1960s and designed by architect John Poulson.
The facility closed in October 2007 and was jointly replaced by the Aquatics Centre at the John Charles Centre for Sport (former South Leeds Stadium) in the south of the city and partly by 'The Edge' sports centre at the University of Leeds which has periods open to non-university members. The building stood unused until late 2009, when demolition commenced. In the interim it was subject to vandalism.
Controversy
The building was controversial from its opening in 1967. Although in the first six months of opening, the facilities were used by over 220,000 people
(at that time nearly half the population of Leeds), the building spent many of its early days closed for repairs and alterations. The architect John Poulson was convicted in 1974 of fraud in connection with the awarding of building contracts. Other buildings designed by Poulson include the now redeveloped Cannon Street Station in London.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Leeds International Pool” is sports venue in the UK. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Leeds, International and Pool, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “sports venue in the UK” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q15242188. Authority coordinates are 53.798, -1.556. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2007, 2009, 1967 and 1974.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Leeds International Pool”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Leeds International Pool primary sources, Leeds International Pool archive and Leeds research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Leeds International Pool”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Leeds International Pool” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.