Withington wouldn't let it rot - now it has a new lease of life

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Just over 10 years ago, things were looking desperate for Withington Baths. The last remaining Edwardian pool in Manchester, Manchester council proposed shutting Withington Leisure Centre as well as other pools in Miles Platting, Broadway (New Moston) and Levenshulme to save £80m from its budget.

Despite protests, Levenshulme's 100-year old baths fell victim to the cuts and now stands an eerie ruin. Desperate not to let Withington's unique pool suffer the same fate, residents set up Love Withington Baths Group who battled for two years to save it from closure.

Opened in 1913, Withington Baths is a swimming pool and leisure centre that's been at the heart of Withington for 100 years.

The last remaining Edwardian pool in the city, it offers stunning architecture, stained-glass windows, and unique period bath tiles. READ MORE: Ancoats refused to leave it behind - now this gem has a new beginning READ MORE: Eight Manchester pubs we'll never see the likes of again and what replaced them Just a year after it opened, Withington was the first public baths in Manchester to throw off the conservative sensibilities of the preceding Victorian era and allow mixed bathing in the city for the first time.