The prince met Sir Roger Bannister, whose ancestors lived in Lancashire

Prince Charles visited a restored mill, farmhouse and an area of terraced houses in Lancashire before travelling to Manchester where he visited the Victoria Baths.

The baths are getting �3.38m to help restore the Turkish baths suite after it won the viewers' vote in the BBC's Restoration series.

The Prince of Wales met 92-year-old Sunny Lowry who learnt to swim at the baths before becoming the first woman to swim the English Channel.

Earlier, he met UK athletics legend Sir Roger Bannister who showed the prince around the restored farmhouse where his ancestors used to live in Pendle.

He asked me what I was covered in when I swam the channel in 1933, I told him I was covered in grease Sunny Lowry

The farmhouse now forms the headquarters of the Heritage Trust in the North West.

Prince Charles unveiled a plaque to mark his visit and paid tribute to the training facilities on offer at the centre, which he said were helping to fill the "black hole" into which skilled craftsmen in the UK were disappearing.

"I feel strongly about finding ways to provide training for people to learn about these particular skills," the prince said.

"One of the things I have a particular passion for is finding new uses for these remarkable buildings."

In Nelson, Lancashire, the prince chatted with residents in the Whitefield area of the town, where hundreds of terraced houses have been restored by the trust.

�15m needed

And at the Victoria Baths, in the Longsight area of Manchester, he met Restoration series presenter Griff Rhys-Jones and other members of the production team.

Mrs Lowry said: "Prince Charles came to congratulate us. He said he was very happy that we had won.

"He asked me what I was covered in when I swam the channel in 1933, I told him I was covered in grease.

"I started swimming here when I was seven and I am still swimming now."

The prince also joined in a discussion of future options for the baths.

It is estimated a further �15m will be needed to restore the whole building.