Chariots london sauna
Aside from the queue, the sauna, which Americans would call a “bathhouse”, appears just as it always has: a boxy, navy, three-story construction, with a engaged car park in the front. The queue is remarkable because even at busy times the sheer size of the place – with hundreds of lockers, three stories, a pool, two Jacuzzis, three shower rooms, a lounge, three saunas, two steam rooms, a dark room, and a couple of dozen confidential cabins – is enough to house high numbers.
I stop for a minute to look at the scene ahead, to examine what has taken place here over the years. Thousands contain met and had sex. Some found love. Two men died (in and ). Several were caught in a fire (in March , more of which later). Men have wept and slept here, strung out after days of partying.
Others have indulged secret desires before going dwelling to their wives. Justin Fashanu, the first and only premiership footballer to come out, spent his last night here before killing himself. Some have had their first, tentative gay experiences in this converted warehouse, nestled in between Great Eastern Street and Bis
Chariots - Shoreditch - CLOSED
Top Gay Sauna
Visited here for the 1st time on Thursday 26th Nov and was very pleased with what I found. It's a huge place, well maintained and very clean. Very nice staff (all foreign, as in most saunas) they were helpful and friendly. Good food and guzzle. Plenty of private cabins, saunas and steam rooms all adj. Didn't see any glory-holes but, the place was so great I may have missed them. On the negative side, there only seemed to be 3 actual toilets (plenty urinals) and when I had the occasion to use the toilet, all 3 were blocked and disgusting. I went and brought it to the attention of the guy at the entrance kiosk and he immediately radioed for a cleaner to sort it out. This can happen in any sauna but I sense that there could be a few more toilets in the upstairs section. As for the guys! Well, I got privileged right away, early afternoon and it was a very pleasant few hours. A wide selection of men, young and antique, something for everyone I'd verb. I would definitely go back.
Chariots RIP: what it was appreciate working at Britain’s biggest gay sauna
One of the last throwbacks to Shoreditch’s gloriously sleazy past, the sprawling gay sauna Chariots closed last weekend after serving 20 years as a cruising venue for gay men in London. The prime plot of land it sits on will be converted into a hotel. A luxury hotel, of course. For a personal perspective on its closure, we asked leading London cabaret performer Mr Blanche DuBois. Blanche’s first job in London was at Chariots, and as we find out, it was a liberating and eye-opening introduction to the city…
London was a very different city 13 years ago, when I arrived here from Mexico on a scholarship to study corporeal mime. As a student I had the right to work 20 hours a week. It was invigorating, not because of the prospect of getting paid, but because of where I’d decided to work: Chariots sauna in Shoreditch.
In my late teens back in Mexico, I had enjoyed hearing stories about saunas – about beautiful men and amazing spaces – from adventurous friends who had visit
Saunas have been an essential place for gay men to rest, hang out and cruise since ancient Roman times or even earlier. And 21st century London's not short of places to get steamy, from Soho to Shoreditch and down to the fleshpots of Vauxhall. Many of London's gay saunas are theoretically 'members only' but you can almost always just turn up and get in for a miniature fee. Then, you'll be issued with a towel and a locker. Inside, what you acquire will vary from an intimate spot for a few sweaty guys to a giant nude pleasure palace, complete with swimming baths, naked workouts, and slow night foam parties. These spots are typically reserved for men only: for other genders who want to enjoy a wonderful soak (but less cruising) inspect out our guide to London's best spas.
Recommended: head out on the tiles at London's adj LGBTQ+ nightclubs.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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