Behind the Scenes at Manchester's Water Palace

One of Manchester's most iconic buildings, Victoria Baths is an Edwardian swimming pool, wash house and Turkish bath complex. Opened in 1906, its grand terracotta and brick façade became symbolic of an era of public health and growing civil pride. It's interior of glazed tiles and decorative stained-glass windows adorned its three public pools and Turkish baths and survive even today in all their former glory. Built in an age of gender and class segregation, Victoria Baths soon adapted to the changing times. This was a public building for ordinary working people as much as it was for the more well-to-do. A place where thousands of local people learned to swim, including the famous cross-Channel swimmer Sunny Lowry.
The Baths was closed in 1993 but this was not the end of its story. A determined campaign to get the building restored succeeded in saving it and now it is a hugely popular attraction, receiving tens of thousands of visitors every year.
In this video we'll take a look at all of Victoria Bath's beauty, but I'll also go behind the scenes to see how the baths operated, including a look at the wonderful water filtration room and a nice bit of plumbing underneath the pools!
A Culture Recovery Fund grant distributed by Historic England has helped to secure the future of this unique piece of heritage. #HereForCulture
Thanks to Historic England and also Victoria Baths for letting me explore!
To learn more about the Culture Recovery Fund or the work of Historic England, please visit:
historicengland.org.uk
KZbin: / historicengland
For more about Victoria Baths or to donate or volunteer, please visit:
VictoriaBaths.org.uk
Facebook: VictoriaBaths
Twitter: @victoriabaths

[@patagualianmostly7437]

As a trainee Fireman in 1975 at London Road Fire Station, Piccadilly...we came to Victoria Baths every week for the exercise they deemed we needed! I was struck by its beauty back then...so this video was a real gem to recall those days.....(Good Lord....47 years ago! Wow!) Thanks for posting.

[@NOMADCREATIVESOLUTIONS]

Red brick looks so much better graced with sandstone.. something you see a lot in Manchester

[@barrysteven5964]

I love your videos, Olly. I look forward to each one and have never been disappointed.

[@brentwightman9367]

i remember as a youngster in the 60s going to a similar type of building in altrincham there was also one on cypress street in stretford

[@SuperGourmetguy]

One of my favourite BHN videos yet! Really informative, well filmed and presented

[@mikeschaffel6958]

This is one of Manchester's great buildings and this is an excellent, well present video giving an insight into its history including the recent restoration. My wife swam there around 90/91 when she lived down the road, while doing her pre reg. Recently my son was invite to the 1st class baths with the Manchester Water Polo team as part of an open day. Unfortunately the heaters weren't working. I've never seen him or any of the other players look so cold, the warm soap at the end of the session was most welcome :-)

[@mikeclarke3882]

Thanks for that Ollie. I grew up on High St, the old name for Hathersage Rd, and then around the corner in Summer Street (off Upper Brook St), a place I spotted on the old map you used but in reality no longer exists. In my day, 1960's, the pools were known locally as simply one, two, and three, pool one being the 'ladies' and pool three being the posh one where they held the swimming gala's. Went to St. Josephs Primary just up the road and we had swimming here ever Wednesday and that's how I learnt to swim. If you could swim a length you could apply for a free pass, and that got used every morning in school holidays, especially during the six weeks off in summer. Vivid memories of walking home, wrinkled skin, shivering, red eyes from all the chlorin in the water. Trunks rolled up in my towel. For a time you could go down the stairs by pool three and buy sweets, hot vimto, Bovril, or tea and toast. My mates and I seldom had enough for such luxuries though. We were lucky to have enough for a Penny Arrow Bar or a Sherbet Slab. In the late 1970's Manchester Corporation used the upstairs as offices for the maintenance dept (for council houses etc). My dad worked there for a while in the dreaded 'Time & Motion'...later known as 'Work Study'....dept. Because he wouldn't go along with the 'scam' they had going, he was shipped off to the Heaton Park office, quite a commute from where we lived by then in Fallowfield. Anyway, the baths played a huge part of my childhood from around 5 to15 years old, (1960 - 1970) as I'm sure it did for so many other kids around that part of Manchester. Great post as usual Ollie....Thanks!

[@dn744]

What a cool building. Cheers

[@damedavidfrith55]

Loved it thanks for another cracking vlog

[@flyingfox7854]

I was born and grew up just across the road from the baths …. back in the 1950’s/60’s me and my mates used to go almost every evening until closing time …. the attendants used to use cold water hose pipes to get us out of the hot showers and make us go home … I think that was in pool 3 (woman’s pool) … also in pool 3 there used to be cubicle’s (up on the balcony)with proper (washing) baths in them for all the people who didn’t have a bathroom in their house, we were quite lucky to have a small bathroom in our house … but I remember when we were having to change from having coal for our 2 fireplaces ( one in the living room with the back boiler for hot water) to gas fires , as most families in the area we then used the baths for a couple of weeks for our general hygiene bathing …. Ahhhh memories.

[@daviespaulaann8913]

Fantastic video ollie 👏 as ever beautifully presented thank you for sharing with us xx

[@TroyTempest0]

Excellent video and very interesting! Glad that Victoria Baths wasn't lost. Really interesting Art Nouveau stuff there I reckon!

[@andyshacks7812]

Ah Viccy Baths! I used to go swimming there in the 80s when I lived in Victoria Park. Loved it there. Such a beautiful building and quite right that it has been saved.

[@samtravis4822]

Saw an amazing version of Romeo and Juliet here that utilised all three pools, with scenes set in each! Thanks for the great video!

[@colinsmith6611]

I spent many happy hours there in the laie 1950s and early 60s when our school swimming lessons were held there. Then I also remember attending Scout swimming galas there annually in the 1970s. It was so sad to the see it falling into decay as I mpassed it several times each week when working in the area during the closure period. However, having had a fairly close association with the building and even though I knew it was one of the largest such establishments in the Greater Manchester area, if not perhaps further afield, it is only after viewing this film that I truly realise the actual size of the place. From a personal point of view, it is absolutely wonderful that it is receiving the TLC it deserves and is slowly but surely being restored to its former glory.

[@ejk181186]

Reminds me a lot of Warrington baths from when I was a kid.

[@mancdave123]

Great watch, thank you 😎

[@drowningcows7631]

Glad to see your pubs videos getting a lot of views, you will eventually end up with millions if you keep up, this is such brilliant, informative content.

[@camerondempsey20]

So proud to grow up just around the corner from such a landmark 💙

[@andrewpaley9914]

Great video I remember swimming in a similar style of baths to this in Armley (Leeds) it had laundry attached where my Gran and her sisters used to meet up every week to do their laundry. The laundry had steam heated dryers so working as a team they could, wash dry and iron their clothes etc in an afternoon.

[@willw1974]

Great video once again. Very informative and a joy to watch

[@barrydysert2974]

It thrills me to discover this building. For me that green tiling is ethereal in its beauty. And the stained glass... Thank you. !:-)🙏

[@CirclingDuck]

My primary school did our swimming lessons here. It's where I learned to swim in the 80s. Great video! Really nostalgic for me.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Aw fantastic!

[@nickbenke3306]

I live so close to here! I've never been in but after seeing your great documentary I will look into a tour. Or even better - try to blag my way in with my camera and cover the whole place. Great work fella!

[@petersimms4982]

Marvellous lil film :)

[@andyroid7339]

Great Video! I think I remember this building feature on 'One Foot in the Past' with Griff Rhys Jones. So glad it's being saved!

[@ShedTV]

Great video, thank you. It brought back childhood memories of Warrington Baths in the '70s. The cast iron changing booths with a half door, the tiled plunge baths at the corners of the pool, stubbing your toe on the stone steps going down into the water and dimly lit, long abandoned rooms filled with what looked to a kid like stainless steel torture equipment!

[@kellyshaw7271]

i used to have my school swimming lessons there. Great building. You had to shake yoyr shoes out before getting them back on because of cockroaches. I always thought, that stepping inside was like travelling back in time. It had an old atmosphere too. Leaving and walking down the steps felt like returning to your own time. In 1982, when i would go with friends to swim during the holidays we used the turnstile ticket office. It was 8 pence for under 16s.

[@stanwilson8089]

Great vid,but the class distinction makes my skin crawl.Did you know that the building that was behind the baths housed the soldiers and horses that were used in the 'Peterloo Massacre'?

[@Porthcothen]

Great video I didn't know that there were 3 pools I swam in one of them in the late 80s beautiful place ,they don't make them like that today ..

[@Red-Rambo]

Loved this place. This was my local swimming baths growing up in the 80s and very early 90's. It is also where my primary school brought us for our swimming lessons.

[@steveandthedogs]

I learned in Heron St baths in Oldham, then Hathershaw - [very] slightly more upmarket. Three classes - says something about British snobbery. Excellent video and presentation

[@niceviewoverthere4463]

Another classic video. Thanks. I so wish that someone had taken the effort to waterproof me. On retirement, I took lessons to try and recover from a near drowning experience when I was 7. But it was a bit like trying to teach a 65yo to drive or ride a motorbike. Thankfully I can do both of those. We each have our opportunities. Grab 'em when you can!

[@MorticeMary68]

Great video, I did my length in pool 3 1966, we had swimming lessons with the dreaded Mrs Western

[@jaychristie1805]

Thanks for this vid. I swam here in school galas early 80s. Lasting memory is cockroaches and the coldest pools. I didn’t remember the little warm troughs until you showed them. 👍

[@Jacqui332]

Fabulous watch. Very interesting history. What a building.

[@Davejezz]

Hi Ollie, another fantastic video. So glad that this beautiful building has not been demolished. Every success to the restoration team.

[@Mr.Grimsdale]

I remember going there as a kid in the very early 70's, we would go downstairs after a swim to the cafe and get a slice of toast for 2p, the best toast i ever tasted.

[@John-nw8uj]

Excellent very reminiscent of the public baths in my N West home town. John

[@redhmanchesteruk.]

In the early 70`s Manchester and Salford Police Cadets used the baths for life saving training.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Oh brilliant. Never knew that!

[@redhmanchesteruk.]

@@BeeHereNowuk eventually we moved to Sharston baths near Wythenshawe.

[@bigdunc1313]

Great stuff very professional , Big fan need more.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thank you very much!

[@amandaleeborchert3745]

I have heard about this building...absolutely gorgeous! Brilliant job on this video...enjoyed the private tour. Thank you for sharing. Well done. Have a wonderful evening!🌹

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thank you very much!

[@amandaleeborchert3745]

@@BeeHereNowukAlways my pleasure! Wishing you much good health and success in 2022!🌹

[@MiltonGrimshaw]

Another wonderful video, led with your passion on historic Manchester.

[@totherarf]

Another great video .... close to home for me! ....... I work for Electricity Northwest (NORWEB as was) based next door! All the old buildings were sold and flats built there to the rear of the baths, but it was a hive of industry back in the late 70's. Many would nip for a swim at dinner or after work. Hellen Mirrim did a scene there from her iconic M/Cr police drama (anyone remember the "Street" death scene)? One small point about the "tilework" .... the white tiles were just the face of purpose made brick. This can be seen in many older Manchester buildings! Funnily enough as I write this Peaky Blinders is on and the boxing match where Arfur nearly dies was there too ;0)

[@peterbrameld696]

I learnt to swim in the public baths in Burnley in the 1950s it was a two mile walk from school (Burnley Wood) and we used to do the walk all year round even in the snow!

[@ashleyknight4122]

Loved this episode! 💚

[@anneforster510]

I have visited Victoria Baths probably about 10 years ago, the stained glass was wonderful and so were the ceramic tiles. I learnt to swim in a very similar place ,now demolished, Harpurhey Baths. My parents also went to Osborne Baths off Rochdale Road as we never had a bathroom in Collyhurst in the 50s and 60s and like all of the Baths they had certain private bathing cubicles for the local community.

[@bazza5699]

woah! what a lovely building with an incredible interior.. great video :)

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thank you!

[@PaulMulvey-q6d]

Met my future Wife there on the 28th October 1960 we were aged 14 , we have now been married for 57 years !! Wonderful Memories, Paul & Carol Mulvey

[@neilwilkins7686]

Loved this video, and great to see behind the scenes of the baths too

[@johncallaghan4616]

Hi Ollie, Wow! Not only another superb video, but the baths where I learnt to swim, as I attended St. Joseph’s just up the road, and the School actually provided swimming as part of the sports - many a happy day serpent in the baths, not just on lesson days, but very very often outside School as we lived locally. I watched the entire video with a broad grin on my face, especially reminiscing about the turnstiles and the half-door/curtain changing rooms in the gala pool! Just superb ! Really well done! JC

[@janeth7308]

Great piece, this brought back so many memories! I was born in Chorlton-on-Medlock, and we would walk from school for swimming lessons here. TBH I really hated it, it was loud, noisy, freezing cold and I never did learn to swim here. We would go to school competitions here too..( I was a spectator 🙄) . I don’t remember the family ever using the actual baths to bathe, or my mum using the laundry, but she did use a local wash house, as they were called back then, to do the weekly washing. I now live on a lake in California…and still I never learned to swim…🤣😂. I love all your videos. Thanks for all the lovely trips down memory lane.

[@alixedent7127]

Both myself and my mum learned to swim here with our respective High Schools. I remember the rather grotty changing cubicles along the sides and the big stone steps. Not only that, but when I was a teeny thing living in Longsight, we came here for the actual baths which were so big to my eyes that they seemed like miniature swimming pools in their own right! Then there was the wash-house area where we came to do the washing every week as we didn't have hot water in our house at all and I can clearly recall the warm fug of steam everywhere and riding atop all the washing in the pram. It was many many years later as a middle-aged adult that I finally saw the rest of the place on one of the Heritage open days - I was amazed that someone had actually lived here and I thought the flat was fab! I daydreamed about having the pools all to myself once the people had all gone home and holding pool parties - ah, a girl can dream....... - fab show, thanks - very evocative.

[@Thefox2856]

Yet another fascinating and interesting vlog! What’s next???

[@laviniajohnson9210]

Another great nostalgic video, you put a lot of work in with the history of the Baths, thanks for that.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thank you! 😊

[@nicklowe536]

My Grandma was a swiming instructor there she loved the place

[@BeekeeperShrewsbury]

What a place! Thanks for sharing 😊

[@brynvjones6679]

Really enjoyed this

[@Theemilythompson]

What an amazing vid! I went here a long time ago after they first got a chunk of funding for a special heritage open day and was blown away by the tiles and stained glass. Thanks for showing the behind the scenes areas, totally fascinating!!

[@douglasthompson296]

Let's not forget that the building was the first winner (I believe) in the TV program Restoration which kick started its restoration. I spent many hours in the steam/Turkish side. Segregated by gender on differing days of the week. The aerotone steel bath was something to behold, modern Jaquzi had nothing on it too. Being a YMCA male member at the old Peter Street building before females were allowed access then nudist swimming etc were the order of the day there too. All great nostalgic memories. Cheers DougT.

[@mancyank564]

My secondary school had swimming competitions here. My primary school had swimming lessons at Broadfield Rd baths in Moss Side. A lot of the families then (1960s) did their laundry at the wash house there.

[@divetechltd2731]

Great interesting well put together video as always

[@basfinnis]

Cool upload. Thanks 👌 What are the future plans for this place?

[@havingalook2]

I had the rare opportuity to visit and tour like you did a good handfull of years ago. It was a highlight for me and the green stairway and tiles were jaw-droppingly beautiful. Thank you for reminding me of my visit. Cheers

[@Andrewjg_89]

The Water Palace in Manchester reminds me of Alexandra Palace in North London. Interesting video. As always keep up the good work. 😄

[@cscasablanca1]

Beautiful building and brings back lots of memories - not good ones though. Went for swimming lessons here with High School but never learnt to swim as after a bad experience in the water I tried my best to get out of lessons and so spent most of my visits in the gallery looking down at the rest of my class!

[@hamshackleton]

There used to be one in Warrington, but sadly it has been demolished. All that remains are the entry doorposts, and the street name - Bath street.

[@whyyoulidl]

Lovely piece; absolutely love the vivid brickwork. Kudos to the community for their dedication to restoring and caring for this beautiful building. An important learning resource too about how people were treated back then so we never make those mistakes again. A+++

[@bluecazzy]

This is where I learned to swim , went either from Ross place school or Nichols ardwick high school

[@bernardmcmahon5377]

Great presentation, thanks 👍Salford

[@johnrowland2867]

as usual great content well done I remember going into a bathhouse all the time just like that it was blackfriars baths Greengate when I was a kid always got ready in the top changing rooms

[@SAM-zt2uy]

I had a jolly up north yesterday to see the Barton Road Swing Bridge and then Astley Green Colliery. Was never aware of this one,mtried a few times to see in the old one in Birmingham.

[@MancunianToryDespiser]

Superb video, and an ace channel. I really need to visit here, as it’s not too far off. Thanks mate!

[@johnselekta]

I've been in there at night, around 1998, when it was dilapidated - there was a MASSIVE mould growth in one of the heating/pump rooms the size of my head, creepy stuff!

[@gavinmillar7519]

Great to hear it's been saved. Good video, very enjoyable.

[@WithJuiceYoureLoose]

I remember going swimming there whilst at primary school.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Brilliant Video

[@HouseofMelia]

I grew up next to baths spent my childhood there great video , does the baths still have the clear and cloudy glass like floor tiles ?

[@jetsons101]

Ollie, that Water Palace is really something to see, such craftsmanship. The interior reminds me of Augustus Pugin, Ollie you live in a city that is just "swimming" in history----sorry. Funny how the smallest "ladies" pool is more beautiful that many public pools today. Turkish baths must have been a big thing back then, even the Titanic had one. Thanks again for a great and historical watch......

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Haha I love a good pun. Thanks Mike!!

[@gordon1376]

I used to live in Longsight in the 1950's and early 1960's and occasionally used the pool. However we visited Levenshulme Swimming pool more as is was easier to get to from there Slade Lane area.

[@maccamcfcflc]

I learnt to swim there,did my length there(not bragging!).

[@SandraMathews-d4l]

Thank you for that so educative and enjoyable 👍

[@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587]

Hi Ollie. GREAT video mate! I'm from Warrington and we had a very similar municipal baths which closed in the 80's. The Who and The Stones both played there. The Gala pool was one of the biggest venues in town. By the way, isn't Victoria Baths the one where the actor who played Len Fairclough got done for kiddy fiddling?

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Cheers Jimmy! Eee sorry I don't know about Len Fairclough

[@123tinhat123]

Haslingden, Lancashire was the baths and he was found not guilty. He died on benefits and in hospital with stomach cancer so maybe karma was repaid?

[@sandramalone9977]

Oh very nice, lower the tone there why don't you. Fantastic video, went there years ago when work had only just started on it's restoration so fantastic to see it again - no longer live in the north west so unable to visit which is a real shame so thank you for taking the time to make a great vid and share it - marvelous.

[@johnrooney1860]

Swam here so many times in the late 1950s 60s born in moss side Manchester. John Rooney st.annes Lancashire UK

[@johnrooney1860]

In deed a good video thanks for the memory. John Rooney st.annes Lancashire UK

[@DeKat-84]

Great video and narration as usual. How did you get to be so cute? ;)

[@rufdymond]

I used to swim here as a kid…..the water was always cold, so didn’t like it much. Great building though.

[@merikblackmore]

Nice vid, are the pools ever filled & used?

[@patclau006]

The BeeGees swimmed there when they were kids and in 1983 Barry Gibb filmed his videoNow Voyager, it's here in KZbin you can see the Bath in all it's glory 40years ago

[@quickclipsbyjmj]

I remember the baths from the BBC series Restoration.

[@yungpep]

Nice 1

[@islaws4589]

The Aerotone looks like some Roger Moore era Bond film torture device 😭

[@MartinvonBargen]

Closest one I can think of in Liverpool that's similar is Lister Drive Baths. Has been in use as a fishery and pet store for quite a long time. Interesting to see why Manchester lagged behind Liverpool in the public bathing stakes? According to sources, the first publicly owned baths were St George's from 1829. But the working classes couldn't really afford entry until 1842, ten years after the cholera epidemic. I wonder if it was just down to the council not seeing the benefit of investment, or was cholera less devastating to Manchester?

[@anvilbrunner.2013]

Great video.

[@mollymay4447]

Learned to swim here attended st Joseph's primary school Plymouth grove in the 1970s we used to walk there and back also when me my sister and our friends went to secondary school we did our free pass and yousd to go every night after school till closing time we also went on a Saturday morning and there was a cafe downstairs we Yousef to buy tea and toast years later my sister became a pool attendant happy days

[@garyleroy6999]

I have delivered chairs to that back door. Great to see the old girl again 👌

[@colinedward3147]

Nice very interesting.

[@stratotramp6243]

The turnstiles say something about our waistlines theses days!! Not sure I'd fit!

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Haha

[@scrambled5948]

This channel is so Mancunian that it has the word bee in the title and it’s a pun on the name of an oasis album

[@johnrowland2867]

the heating never worked in any bathhouse i went in water was always cold

[@bertdingle]

Great video. I bet they got there chlorine from Runcorn.....