Victoria Baths

Victoria Baths stands in Manchester’s Chorlton-on-Medlock district as a Grade II* listed building. The baths opened in 1906 after costing £59,144 to build. They were designed by city surveyor T. de Courcy Meade and his assistant Arthur Davies, with supervision by the newly appointed city architect Henry Price. The building once housed private baths, a laundry, three swimming pools and a Victorian-style Turkish bath. A sauna was added later, and the main pool’s floor could be raised in winter for dances. The baths provided essential washing and leisure facilities for 87 years. In 1952 they installed the first public Aeratone whirlpool bath in the country. The façade features multi-coloured brickwork and terracotta decoration, while the interior public spaces are clad in glazed tiles from floor to ceiling. Many windows have decorative stained glass, reflecting the wealth of Manchester’s municipal coffers at the time. The baths closed in 1993 and were left empty until restoration began in 2007. Visitors now find a restored building that has served as a filming location for major television productions. The gala pool was filled again in 2006 after 13 years, and the site has hosted concerts, exhibitions and a 2017 acid house dance pool party. The baths remain on the Heritage at Risk Register, but ongoing work continues to preserve this historic water palace.