Edwardian pool gets £900k restoration grant

The money will repair and restore the roof of Withington Baths in Manchester as part of a £2.2m restoration of the Edwardian building.

Paul Smith from the group said it was “incredible” to get the funding.

He said restoring the roof to its former Edwardian glory, as well as educating the community about the pool’s heritage, had been “one of our ambitions since we engaged with the council about running the site in 2013”.

He described the grant as “the pinnacle” of the group’s campaign.

In addition to the grant from the Heritage Fund, Manchester City Council is loaning the Baths £1m, supplemented by the Baths own savings.

The building houses a pool, gym, exercise and holistic studios, a sauna and a workspace and receives over 140,000 visitors a year, including 800 learner swimmers.

The restoration started on 7 February and will run for nine months, with the pool staying open throughout.

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