Visit to Victoria Baths and Walking Tour of the Whitworth Street/Princess Street Conservation Area

Join us on Tuesday, 1st April 2025, at 12pm for a private tour of Victoria Baths in Manchester, followed by a guided walk through the Whitworth Street/Princess Street Conservation Area.

This event is being held in partnership with Historic Buildings and Places and the tour will be led by Kate Martyn, Chair of The Victorian Society Regional Group and Practice Director at Donald Insall Associates.

We will be meeting at the Victoria Baths on the day. The tour at the Baths will be from 12pm-1pm. We will then break for lunch and reconvene from 2:30pm – 4pm for the afternoon walking tour. Lunch is not provided.

Victoria Baths:

Discover the history, architecture, and restoration of this landmark building. Opened in 1906 and designed by Henry Price, Victoria Baths was hailed as ‘a water palace of which every citizen of Manchester can be proud’. Its striking stained glass, decorative tiles, and mosaic floors made it one of the country’s most impressive municipal swimming pools.

After closing in 1993, the building fell into disrepair. Since 2000, the Manchester Victoria Baths Trust has led efforts to restore and repurpose the site, with phased conservation work beginning in 2007. Today, Victoria Baths is a thriving venue for events, arts performances, and fairs.

Walking Tour:

Explore the Whitworth Street/Princess Street Conservation Area, tracing its transformation from a hub of Manchester’s industrial past to the home of the city’s Chinese community in the mid-to-late 20th century, and its more recent evolution as the heart of Manchester’s gay village.

Tickets:

£29 HB&P and HTVF members / £37 non-members. Further details and tickets are available on the HB&P events page:

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