Take a dip at Victoria Baths
GRADE II POOL TO OPEN FOR PUBLIC SWIMMING FOR FIRST TIME IN 24 YEARS
SWIMMERS have the chance to take a dip in the iconic Victoria Baths for the first time in more than two decades but there’s a catch... it’s going to be chilly.
The Grade II* listed building, in Chorlton-on-Medlock, is currently undergoing a huge restoration project after it was shut down by Manchester council in 1993.
Although the refurbishment work has not yet been completed, the pool can be filled and heated on rare occasions.
But the event on Sunday, May 14, will be the first time it has been opened for public swimming in 24 years.
And although the water will be heated, the building isn’t, so swimmers are being urged to prepare to wrap up warm after their swim.
Swimmers will be able to use the original changing cubicles but there are no showering facilities or lockers.
The Gala pool will be re-filled a week beforehand and bosses say they hope it give the public a glimpse of what the 110-year-old building could become once its restoration is complete.
Gill Wright, project development manager for Victoria Baths, says, “Lots of people enjoy visiting Victoria Baths, but it is a very rare opportunity for members of the public to be able to swim here.
“We are hoping to create an experience that enables people to relive the baths in its heyday, and to demonstrate what a wonderful and unique swimming experience it offers. “Theatrical performances, artistic installations and the occasion of our 110th birthday have seen the pool filled in recent years, but this is the first time since March 1993 that we’ve had a public swimming event.
“Looking to the future, our vision is for a time when the pool is fully in use, and we want to give people a taste of how special that will be.”
There will also be special tours of the building throughout the afternoon.
Mrs Wright added: “We would suggest that swimmers approach the session as they would an outdoor swim; being prepared for a cooler temperature, but also a very unforgettable experience.
“We are really excited at being able to provide this offer.”
The baths, which opened in 1906, incorporated hot rooms and steam rooms, and was described at the time as a “water palace” and “the most splendid municipal bathing institution in the country”.