Victoria Baths
Encyclopedia
Victoria Baths is a Grade II* listed building, situated in the Chorlton-upon-Medlock area of Manchester
, in northwest England
. The building is currently on English Heritage
's Buildings at Risk Register.
It was designed by the City Surveyor T. de Courcy Meade and his assistant Arthur Davies and the work supervised by Henry Price
the newly appointed city architect. 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 and leisure facilities. Private baths and a laundry
were housed there along with three swimming pool
s and a Turkish bath. The main swimming pool was floored over in the winter months to hold dances. In 1952 the Victoria Baths installed the first public Aeratone (jacuzzi
) 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. The Friends of Victoria Baths was formed and began to investigate the possibility of running the Victoria Baths independently.
Various fund-raising attempts failed to bring about a restoration of the Baths, although work to prevent the further dereliction
of the building started in 1998.
In September 2003, the Baths won the first series of BBC 2's Restoration programme. The building was chosen by a public phone-vote from a short-list of ten 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. The Prince of Wales
visited the baths a month later to help celebrate the win.
It was intended that the money would be spent on re-opening the Turkish bath by around 2006, with other parts following later at a cost of around £15 - 20m. However, the redevelopment plans were dealt a blow one year later when quantity surveyor
s delivered a much large estimate of £6.3m 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. Final planning
approval to begin a restoration process was not received until September 2005.
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.
The first phase of restoration work consisting of structural work and repairs began on Monday 19 March 2007, with the work being completed in September 2008.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, in northwest England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The building is currently on English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
's Buildings at Risk Register.
It was designed by the City Surveyor T. de Courcy Meade and his assistant Arthur Davies and the work supervised by Henry Price
Henry Price (architect)
John Henry Price – more commonly referred to as Henry Price – was the first person to hold the office of 'City Architect' in Manchester Corporation's newly created City Architect's Department of 1902...
the newly appointed city architect. 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 and leisure facilities. Private baths and a laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
were housed there along with three swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s and a Turkish bath. The main swimming pool was floored over in the winter months to hold dances. In 1952 the Victoria Baths installed the first public Aeratone (jacuzzi
Jacuzzi
Jacuzzi is a company that produces whirlpool bathtubs and spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets. The term "jacuzzi" is now often used generically to refer to any bathtub with massaging jets.-History:...
) 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
Architectural terracotta
Terracotta, in its unglazed form, became fashionable as an architectural ceramic construction material in England in the 1860s, and in the United States in the 1870s. It was generally used to supplement brick and tiles of similar colour in late Victorian buildings.It had been used before this in...
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
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
.
The Baths were closed by Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
in 1993. The Friends of Victoria Baths was formed and began to investigate the possibility of running the Victoria Baths independently.
Various fund-raising attempts failed to bring about a restoration of the Baths, although work to prevent the further dereliction
Abandonment
The term abandonment has a multitude of uses, legal and extra-legal. This "signpost article" provides a guide to the various legal and quasi-legal uses of the word and includes links to articles that deal with each of the distinct concepts at greater length...
of the building started in 1998.
In September 2003, the Baths won the first series of BBC 2's Restoration programme. The building was chosen by a public phone-vote from a short-list of ten buildings in danger of dereliction in the UK. It was awarded £3.4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
and the money raised through the phone-voting process. The Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
visited the baths a month later to help celebrate the win.
It was intended that the money would be spent on re-opening the Turkish bath by around 2006, with other parts following later at a cost of around £15 - 20m. However, the redevelopment plans were dealt a blow one year later when quantity surveyor
Quantity surveyor
A quantity surveyor is a professional working within the construction industry concerned with building costs.The profession is one that provides a qualification gained following formal education, specific training and experience that provides a general set of skills that are then applied to a...
s delivered a much large estimate of £6.3m 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. Final planning
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
approval to begin a restoration process was not received until September 2005.
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.
The first phase of restoration work consisting of structural work and repairs began on Monday 19 March 2007, with the work being completed in September 2008.
External links
- Official website: http://www.victoriabaths.org.uk
- BBC Restoration website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/restoration