Bury Corporation was the second local authority in England to own, and the first to run, a Turkish bath. But the building was originally started by a limited liability company, and was taken over by the corporation when the company could not raise enough money to finish it.

This original, 'small and dingy' bath in St Mary's Place, opened in 1864, and was replaced by a much larger one in 1898. The second baths closed in 1976, but the Castle Leisure Centre which replaced them did not include Turkish baths.

This ticket is from the second Turkish baths at St Mary's Place, but its date is not known. A thick card, 1¼x2¼in, it looks like a traditional train ticket and has a clipped hole, also like a train ticket, to show that the bather has been admitted to the baths and needs a new ticket to go again. (Compare with the Crewe Turkish baths ticket which has not been used.)

Because the baths were built under the Baths and Wash-houses Acts, two classes of baths had to be provided. Occasionally, large towns built two sets of baths, but in Bury there was only one, used at different times and at a lower price.