Collier Street Baths

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Collier Street Baths is a Grade II* listed building, an Italianate brick structure on Collier Street designed by Thomas Worthington, one of Manchester’s most celebrated 19th-century architects.

When it opened in 1856 under the Manchester and Salford Baths and Laundries Company, the baths were an immediate success, with 3,476 visitors in the first two weeks. It was regarded as one of the finest pools in the country, marking the beginning of a golden age for public swimming. At its peak, it served 50,000 visitors annually. Notably, Mark Addy, one of Salford’s most famous sons, learned to swim there before going on to rescue more than 50 people from drowning.

For decades, however, the building has suffered from neglect, crumbling away in a forgotten corner of Salford. The laundry, boiler house, and chimney have been demolished, the pool tiles have vanished, and the building now stands roofless.

Yet I have found this abandoned gem a continual source of inspiration. My work focuses on the building’s remaining exterior architecture, capturing its unique palette, enduring beauty, and faded splendour.

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