Levenshulme Baths - Manchester

The former baths stood prominent against the roadside. Plywood board covered all the external windows and doorways, looking as if it had been this way for some time. A cautious reconnaissance, wary of lingering too long in the open, led to a furtive entry. Inside, the decay was a patchwork of rot and resilience. Rain had carved its way through fractured ceilings, staining and warping the once-grand spaces.

While initial impressions from the exterior were bleak, the main baths revealed a surprising resilience, retaining a ghostly grandeur. Original, period tiling adorned the disused rooms. A sauna, a steam room, scattered swimming paraphernalia were still present, echoes of its leisure past. For a decade, time had taken its toll, yet the baths held on, a poignant survivor amidst the encroaching decay, a haunting beauty amidst its dereliction.

History

“The Levenshulme swimming baths first opened there doors in 1921 and operated separate pools for men and women,The baths later closed their doors for the last time back in February 18th 2016, The public baths and washhouse served the town for decades with residents making use of its leisure facilities. The Baths were replaced by the 'Arcadia Leisure Centres' which opened its doors later that month”.