Britain's lost Victorian pools

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Swimming in urban decay: Ghostly images of Britain's forgotten pools left derelict after the Victorian golden age of public bathing

Italian-born photographer Gigi Cifali, 37, was captivated by the urban decay of Britain's lost swimming pools and toured the country to take these breathtaking photographs, standing at the shallow end of each run-down pool to 'tell the story from the swimmer's point of view'. Clockwise from top left: Mosley Road Baths in Birmingham, the Soho Marshall Pool in London, Oldham's Chadderton Baths, London's Hornsey Road Baths and the now-revamped Uxbridge Lido in London.