David Brent

There is a location of a very old looking and abandoned indoor swimming baths that I have seen featured many times on British television programs.
I was wondering where the old baths are situated?

The disused baths have appeared most recently in Life On Mars Series Two, Episode 3 and Dalziel and Pascoe Series 12 Episode - Demons On Our Shoulders.

The wooden doored changing rooms can be seen beside the empty pool.
The pool is tiled in the old fashioned way.

Great place for location shooting but I was wondering why the place had not been demolished yet?

Dave.

DB7

Those used in Deep End? I've no idea if they're stilll standing today but many are now listed buildings.

CaptainWaggett

Is it the Victoria Baths in Manchester? (presumably the handiest closed pool for Life on Mars). It certainly has lots of tiling and IIRC the cubicles are round the edge.

DB7

I think you're right.

On the subject of Victorian baths, only a week or so ago Shepperton author Matthew Sweet (I presume it was he) had a small programme on CH4 focusing on those in Birmingham.

christoph404

Empty swimming pools have become a bit of an atmospheric visual icon in movies and stills photography, almost a cliche in some ways, think of all the films that feature scenes around an empty pool and no points for mentioning "The Swimmer" with Burt Lancaster I used to go for a dip in the victorian baths in Marshall Street in London's soho near Carnaby Street in my student days, they have been closed for at least ten years now but I often wondered if it was the location for "Deep End"

kelp

The Drowning pool! Put me off swimming for a few weeks.
Near where I live was an old Victorian Baths, it was part of a school for the deaf. The local schools used it too, and I once went inside and had a look at it. It was a really ODD place, all steel latice work girders to the roof, and what I call institution blue for all the tiles.
It is now a long block of very highly priced apartments. Still has a spooky feel though.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...YOU MAY GET IT!

rskershaw

Weren't they voted by TV viewers of Restoration as the favourite building, in that particular series, to be restored?

But apparently Manchester or Salford Council refused to let them be open to the public, so now you have a magnificent but unused swimming baths. Something like that.

Has anybody got the full story?

PaulPlowman

This is just down the road from me, and there's an open day tomorrow! Unfortunately, I'm having guests round, so probably can't make it.

If I remember right, it was also used in an episode of Prime Suspect.

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Michael L Rick

Was in Greenford, nr Ealing, West London, but long demolished.

christoph404

Cheers Michael for that info, thats a shame that they have gone, another supermarket instead no doubt!

Michael L Rick

I think the site may be occupied by Tesco now...!

DB7

Seems that due to red tape work only commenced last year.
Victoria Baths - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Brent

Thanks everyone. It does indeed look like The Victorian Baths are the location.

Do they hope to eventually reopen the baths for swimmers or will it be used like a museum?
I must say it is a creepy looking place.

Dave.

PS68060

I saw a programme a years or so after Resoration where they said they weren't
being given the money because the restoration was only for part of the building.

From watching the programmes, the plan had only ever been to restore the Turkish
Baths part initially and then to raise more money to restore the remainder.

Maybe it was because it was in Manchester

"Oh! Pete!"

DB7

I'd imagine there might be a conflict between maintaining the original features and current Health and Safety regs. I've an old baths near to me that closed in the early 70s and well remember people going arse over tip on its glass-like tiling.