Victoria Baths
{{Short description|Historical bathing venue in Manchester}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox building
|name = Victoria Baths
|image = VictoriaBaths.jpg
|caption = Victoria Baths, Manchester
|map_type = Greater Manchester
|coordinates = {{coord|53.46|-2.216|display=inline,title}}
|location_town = Manchester
|location_country = England
|architect =
|client = Manchester Corporation
|engineer =
|construction_start_date =
|completion_date = {{Start date|1906}}
|structural_system =
|style =
|size =
|website = [https://victoriabaths.org.uk/ victoriabaths.org.uk]
|designations = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Grade II* Listed Building
| designation1_offname = Victoria Baths with attached forecourt walls
| designation1_date = 18 January 1983
| designation1_number = {{NHLE|num=1200808|short=y|postscript=none}}
}}
}}
Victoria Baths is a Grade II* listed building,{{citation |title=Victoria Baths With Attached Forecourt Walls |publisher=Heritage Gateway |url=http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1200808&resourceID=5 |access-date=29 March 2012}} in the Chorlton-on-Medlock area of Manchester, England. The baths opened to the public in 1906 and cost £59,144 to build. Manchester City Council closed the baths in 1993 and the building was left empty. A multimillion-pound restoration project began in 2007. {{As of|2024}}, the building is on English Heritage's Heritage at Risk Register.{{citation |title=Heritage At Risk Register 2009 – North West |page=54 |publisher=English Heritage |year=2009 |access-date=31 January 2010|url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/190609north_west_2009_har_register.pdf}}{{cite web |url=https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/46511 |title=Victoria Baths with attached forecourt walls, Hathersage Road, Longsight - Manchester |author= |website=historicengland.org.uk |publisher=Historic England |access-date=25 February 2024}}
History
File:Victoria Baths Stalls.JPG
File:Victoria Baths Window.JPG window, the "angel of purity" in the Turkish baths]]
The baths were designed by the city surveyor, T. de Courcy Meade, and his assistant, Arthur Davies. The work was supervised by Henry Price, the newly appointed city architect.'City's new baths' Manchester Courier (7 September 1906) p.10 The baths were opened in September 1906 by the Lord Mayor of Manchester who described the building as a "water palace". For 86 years the baths provided both essential washing and leisure facilities. Private baths and a laundry were housed there along with three swimming pools and a Victorian-style Turkish bath, later a sauna was added. The main swimming pool was floored over in the winter months to hold dances. In 1952 the Victoria Baths installed the first public Aeratone™ bath (an early type of Jacuzzi™ whirlpool) in the country.
In the design and construction of the baths, a great deal of money was expended, Manchester having at that time one of the world's wealthiest municipal coffers. The façade has multi-coloured brickwork and terracotta decoration, the main interior public spaces are clad in glazed tiles from floor to ceiling and most of the many windows have decorative stained glass.
The baths were closed by Manchester City Council in 1993.{{citation |title=Baths need £2.5m for restoration |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3546616.stm |date=9 August 2004 |access-date=17 November 2010}} The Friends of Victoria Baths was formed and began to investigate the possibility of running the Victoria Baths independently.
Various fundraising attempts failed to bring about a restoration of the baths, although work to prevent further deterioration of the building started in 1998.
=Restoration=
{{Update section|date=February 2024}}
File:Victoria Baths interior, 2010 (4).jpg
In September 2003, the baths won the first series of the BBC's Restoration programme. The building was chosen by a public phone-vote from a shortlist of 10 buildings in danger of dereliction in the UK. It was awarded £3.4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the money raised through the phone-voting process.{{citation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3108474.stm |publisher=BBC News |title=Baths win £3.4m Restoration final |date=14 September 2003 |access-date=17 November 2010}} The Prince of Wales visited the baths a month later to help celebrate the win.{{citation |title=Baths get the prince's seal |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=25 October 2003 |first=Neal |last=Snowdon}}
It was intended that the money would be spent on re-opening the Turkish baths by around 2006, with other parts following later at a cost of around £15–20 million.{{citation |title=Big splash for saved baths may take years |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/76/76832_big_splash_for_saved_baths_may_take_years.html |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=30 December 2003 |first=David |last=Ottewell}} However, the redevelopment plans were dealt a blow one year later when quantity surveyors delivered a much larger estimate of £6.3 million to restore the Turkish baths. The Heritage Lottery Fund requested further details about the full redevelopment before they would hand over any money for the first phase.{{citation |title=Blow to 'saved' baths |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=9 August 2004 |first=Blaise |last=Tapp}} Final planning approval to begin a restoration process was not received until September 2005.{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}
In September 2006, as part of a number of events to mark the centenary of the building's opening, the gala pool was filled for the first time in 13 years.{{citation |title=Victoria Baths fills up with water |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/223500_victoria_baths_fills_up_with_water |first=Don |last=Frame |date=19 September 2006 |access-date=17 November 2010}}{{citation |title=Water way to celebrate baths' 100th birthday |first=Ben |last=Rooth |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/222659_water_way_to_celebrate_baths_100th_birthday_ |date= 7 September 2006 |access-date=17 November 2010}}
The first phase of restoration work consisting of structural work and repairs began on 19 March 2007,{{citation |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6465687.stm |title=Baths restoration gets under way |publisher=BBC News |date=19 March 2007 |access-date=17 November 2010}} and was completed in September 2008.{{citation |publisher=BBC News |title=Baths restoration moves forward |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7619889.stm |date=17 September 2008 |access-date=17 November 2010}} In 2011 the baths were used as a filming location,{{citation |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/tv_and_showbiz/s/1406460_will_youngs_spooky_new_drama_bedlam_filmed_in_manchester |title=Will Young's spooky new drama Bedlam filmed in Manchester |first=Dianne |last=Bourne |publisher=MEN Media |work=Manchester Evening News |date=27 January 2011 |access-date=29 March 2012}} a concert venue,{{citation |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/northeastmanchesteradvertiser/news/s/1421151_water-music-victoria-baths-provide-unusual-backdrop-for-concert |title=Water music: Victoria Baths provide unusual backdrop for concert |publisher=MEN Media |work=Manchester Evening News |date=19 May 2011 |access-date=29 March 2012}} and an exhibition centre.{{citation |url=http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1417035_take-the-plunge-swimwear-exhibtion-at-victoria-baths |title=Take the plunge: Swimwear {{sic|nolink=y|exhib|tion|expected=exhibition}} at Victoria Baths |publisher=MEN Media |work=Manchester Evening News |date=2 April 2011 |access-date=29 March 2012}} On 16 April 2017, the baths were once again reopened for an invite-only acid house dance pool party hosted by Boiler Room, The Warehouse Project, and Fac 51 The Warehouse. This was called "The Other Side of Midnight". The event was also live streamed on YouTube; the video is unlisted.
See also
{{portal|Greater Manchester}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
Further reading
- {{citation |title=Great lengths: The Historic Indoor Swimming Pools of Britain |publisher=English Heritage |first1=Ian |last1=Gordon |first2=Simon |last2=Inglis |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-905624-52-2}}
- {{citation |last=Lloyd Evans Prichard |url=http://www.victoriabaths.org.uk/Conservation_Plan.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716234719/http://www.victoriabaths.org.uk/Conservation_Plan.pdf |archive-date=16 July 2011 |title=Victoria Baths Conservation Plan |year=2004 |publisher=Lloyd Evans Prichard}}
- {{citation |title=Victoria Baths: Manchester's Water Palace |first=Prue |last=Williams |publisher=Spire Books |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-904965-01-5}}
External links
- [http://www.victoriabaths.org.uk Official website]
- [http://www.bbc.co.uk/restoration BBC Restoration website]
- [https://www.flickr.com/photos/manchesterarchiveplus/sets/72157628231808123/ Victoria Baths Manchester Archives+]
{{Manchester B&S}}
{{commons category|Victoria Baths}}
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1906