Dawdon Colliery Swimming Pool started out as a reservoir on the pit site and was already hosting swimming galas when the miners decided to make it into a proper pool.
A committee was formed, headed by Frank Watt, to transform the reservoir into a well-equipped pool. The pool also had a band stand and terraces for many spectators. The diving stage was built to Olympic standards.
The materials to build to pool were provided by the colliery management and the work carried out by the miners. It took four years to build. The pool served as the pit cooling pond, so the water was always warm. It also had a layer of black silt on the bottom although the water was clear.
The pool was home to the Dawdon Colliery Swimming Club (founded in 1945) and also became a famous diving centre hosting divers from all over the UK and beyond.
The pool was the training ground for Charmain Welsh, a local teenager who spent many hours perfecting dives up to 10m and went on to compete in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki when only 15 and won two gold medals at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.
Attendance began to trail off during the 1970’s as more people holidayed overseas and the site suffered from vandalism. The swimming club closed in 1982 and the pool fell into disrepair. The colliery closed in 1991.
| Name | Dawdon Colliery Pit Pool Blair Way, Dawdon, County Durham, SR7 7PP, England (Modern address) |
| Coordinates | 54°49’26.0″N 1°19’30.2″W |
| Built / opened | 11th June 1949 |
| Cost | |
| Dimensions | 200′ x 175′ (approx. scaled from map) |
| Capacity | |
| Water type | |
| Depth(s) | 14′ at deepest point |
| Diving | Olympic standard fixed and springboards up to 10m |
| Changing facilities | |
| Second pool | N/A |
| Spectator seating | Multiple concrete terraces |
| Designers and contractors | |
| Date closed | 1991 |
| Status | Demolished |
| On site now | Business park |
| Links | COLLIERY SWIMMING GALA |
| Last updated | 21st April 2026 |
Charmain Welsh
