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Report - - City Sauna, Sheffield, South Yorks, August 2021 | Leisure Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - City Sauna, Sheffield, South Yorks, August 2021

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HughieD

28DL Regular User
Regular User
1. The History
Located in the Attercliffe district of Sheffield, City Sauna was run by a mother and daughter combination. After a number of name changes, they finally settled on City Sauna. Given the legal status of brothels in the UK, it was run under the guise of it being a massage parlour (prostitution is legal, but it is illegal to operate brothels). Situated in the city's red-light district in a former industrial area, here property was cheap and there the a lack of residential properties meant it was tolerated.

The brothel shot to fame in 2015 when it was the focus of a Channel 4 documentary entitled 'A Very British Brothel' and then again four years later, in the ITV documentary, called 'A Very Yorkshire Brothel', in 2019.

The two documentaries introduced viewers to the sauna’s working girls, its punters, some of whom smothered themselves in custard and dressed themselves in nappies and other punters who wanted “food play” (or sploshing). South Yorkshire Police carried out multiple visits and inspections while the brothel was operating but no charges were ever pressed and City Sauna still operates at its new location, further down the road, which it moved into in 2019, shortly after the showing of the second documentary.

It wasn’t always a brothel though. The building began life as a pub, The Norfolk Arms, which opened its doors in 1830 amid the Industrial Revolution. Here workers from the surrounding factories, foundries and steel works could be found having a crafty lunchtime beer and a post-work drink. However, with the decline in the steel industry the then Tetley’s house closed in the mid-1980s before finding its new usage.

The pub circa 1970:



2. The Explore
Not my first choice of explores it has to be said, but it was local and doable so popped in for a quick mooch. What to say? It’s an ex-pub that became an infamous brothel. Architecturally, it is pretty underwhelming with the events that went on within it, as documented by the two high-profile TV shows, overshadowing the building itself.

Despite only being closed for just over a couple of years, it’s pretty trashed now. There’s little evidence that it was a pub and a lot of evidence of its subsequent use. So not much else to say, so on with the pictures.

3. The Pictures
Only took one external!

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The reception room downstairs is the most photogenic:

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The adjoining room has at least got its original fireplace:

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The first floor is the main business part of the operation, including a sauna!

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And a number of individual rooms:

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And a “naughty boys” room!

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The top floor has space for the workers:

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And a “props” room:

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And more “classic” wallpaper:

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OK, that's yer lot!
 
Last edited:

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
I knew I recognized this place. I know you mentioned the channel 4 and 2 documentaries, but seeing the outside, I remember watching one of those documentaries.
 

Parysperspective

A peach, a nice welcoming peach
Banned
Someone went to the papers with this location. Which has caused upset to the business owners for the way it was - basically saying it a dirty place (once the copper theives had been and some had trashed a bit). The business only relocated, it didn’t shut down. So she hopes it doesn’t deter custom.

I’m in contact with Kath quite regularly and she says the damage people have caused has brought on unnecessary stress (especially with a very ill husband). She understands exploring and she is fine with it (whilst requesting my help with any photos of the ladies or and other photographs like the one of a child (relative) not be uploaded or brought down). But as the landlord is abroad, it has been left to her to try and secure it. Which she managed to do once. Then somehow some bars of the window got removed for access (not worth that effort!) only for then to be a second wave exploring this. So she’s involving the authorities or something now.

It’s already trashed but I hope it doesn’t get set on fire. As Kath has asked, “why can’t all explorers be respectful”. I said anyone that trashed the place, steals, sells out to the paper without care that the business has only relocated, etc… are not proper explorers. She knows this though. Bless her.
 

Jl.urbex

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Looks like an awesome little place, shame about all the problems with the troublesome people. Frankly I think if your gonna be disrespectful enough to destroy stuff then the police deserve to be called.

Great little explore, lucky you got in when you did by the sounds of things
 

Bikin Glynn

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Someone went to the papers with this location. Which has caused upset to the business owners for the way it was - basically saying it a dirty place (once the copper theives had been and some had trashed a bit). The business only relocated, it didn’t shut down. So she hopes it doesn’t deter custom.

I’m in contact with Kath quite regularly and she says the damage people have caused has brought on unnecessary stress (especially with a very ill husband). She understands exploring and she is fine with it (whilst requesting my help with any photos of the ladies or and other photographs like the one of a child (relative) not be uploaded or brought down). But as the landlord is abroad, it has been left to her to try and secure it. Which she managed to do once. Then somehow some bars of the window got removed for access (not worth that effort!) only for then to be a second wave exploring this. So she’s involving the authorities or something now.

It’s already trashed but I hope it doesn’t get set on fire. As Kath has asked, “why can’t all explorers be respectful”. I said anyone that trashed the place, steals, sells out to the paper without care that the business has only relocated, etc… are not proper explorers. She knows this though. Bless her.

Couldnt agree more, but tbh the owners would be best completely clearing it out completely.
 

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