The Albion Bath Company

Most baths on the market are either made from cast iron – which is overly heavy and has poor heat retention – or flimsy acrylic, which often lacks an adequate finish. The solution for the founders of the Albion Bath Company was to invent a new material entirely. Called Iso-Enamel, it’s a composite of resin and stone mineral powder that took two years to develop. Only a third of the weight of cast iron, it routinely keeps bath water hotter for longer and the coating is less prone to chipping than acrylic.

The company began its quest to create the best possible bathtub 23 years ago, when the founders were inspired by an original Victorian model they found in a salvage yard. It was a little the worse for wear but ideal for using as a mould for their first bath, the Solus, which has traditional ball and claw feet. These days, the original has a stablemate – the new Solus Advance freestanding bathtub, which is on a plinth – and as with all Albion baths, it’s made from Iso-Enamel.

That original mould was also chopped in half, squashed and transformed into a range of other styles that fuse classic and contemporary elements, creating design pieces that feel at home in a modern bathroom. Baths are split into two style groups: Roll Top, with a soft rolled edge and Bull Nose, characterised by a continuous form from inside to out. The range includes innovative baths such as the Tubby Tub Roll Top – a shorter, four foot-long bath created specifically for small spaces, but sumptuously deep and like a design statement rather than a compromise – and the Origine Double, a twin-ended freestanding tub that maximises its internal volume with a delicate rim design.

Customers are offered a range of options at the order stage, from style and finish to size and colour. (Further customisation choices are being added this year.) Roll-top baths, for instance, can be finished in any exterior colour from the Farrow & Ball or Dulux paint palettes; in one of three exclusive burnished metallic finishes (gold, iron or bronze); or a highly reflective, polished pewter. Over the years the company has refined its system

of painting so that every bath has a flawlessly crisp finish. All this customisation inevitably means an increased lead time – each piece is handmade – but the distinctive and unique bath that results is worth the wait.

Of course, the Albion Bath Company doesn’t just make baths: brassware, sanitaryware, radiators and shower enclosures are all part of the product range too. Formerly outsourced manufacturing processes are now being undertaken at the Albion factory in Essex (from where baths are supplied directly to clients), where you can visit the showroom to experience the products firsthand. And with 50 models of freestanding baths to choose from, there is bound to be a tub that suits – whatever the size of your bathroom.