The Manchester Tiles Letter V – Victoria Baths

Victoria Baths has a special place in local’s hearts and this Victoria Baths tile captures the essence of Manchester’s beloved water palace. An incredible building inside and out, our city’s ‘water palace’ opened in 1906 and for the better part of a century provided a range of services, including three swimming pools, a Turkish bath, a sauna, and a laundry. It even had the UK’s first jacuzzi, installed in 1952.

Like many great Manchester institutions, neglect led to Council closure in 1993, but the independent group Friends of Victoria Baths helped to begin its restoration, a project finally secured when it won the BBC Restoration Programme’s public vote in 2003. Even with £3.4 million allocated, the restoration process hasn’t been simple, but since 2011 the baths have been used as a concert venue, exhibition centre and film location.

We’ve honoured the grand old building with our V Tile, which is hand-rolled and glazed in the UK’s ceramic heartland Stoke-on-Trent, before artwork firing in local Manchester kilns.

Material: Ceramic

Production: Hand-rolled and glazed

Size: 6in x 6in.