Victoria Baths - Weekly Guided Tour, Victoria Baths
Price from:
£5.00
Opening Times:
03/03/2010 - 27/10/2010
Category:
Exhibitions
,
Guided Tours
,
Heritage & Days Out
.
Victoria Baths - Weekly Guided Tour
Manchester’s Victoria Baths first opened in 1906; with its multi-coloured brick façade, terracotta decorations, floor-to-ceiling glazed tiles and decorative stained glass windows, it was dubbed Manchester’s ‘water palace’, and housed private baths, a laundry, three swimming pools, Turkish baths, and England’s very first public Jacuzzi.
In 1993, despite public protests, the high costs of maintenance and repairs forced Manchester Council to close the Baths. Ten years later the building featured on the BBC television show, Restoration; massive support from the public ensured its win, and work on the building commenced. As well as Restoration, it’s been used as a backdrop for shows like Life on Mars and Prime Suspect 5.
The weekly (every Wednesday only) guided tour takes you around the accessible portions of the building, and includes information about the history of the Baths and the progress of the ongoing conservation work. Whilst much of the place is still in very poor repair, the front façade and the Turkish Baths suite have been carefully restored, and visitors can admire various stained glass windows and a long-hidden glass block pavement.
Learn more...
Take a virtual tour of the building
More information on the restoration work
Read more about winning the Restoration TV programme on the BBC website