There has been an open-air pool in Abingdon since the 1880s across the river from the current site. The present pool was dug in the 1950s. Initially, it was a cold water pool (it was not heated until the 1970s) but despite this, it was used by town schools for children’s swimming lessons until 1976, when the Old Gaol leisure centre opened.
Listed as closed in 2004 in Liquid Assets, the historic imagery for the site shows the pool as bright blue in 2003 then dark green and half full in 2004. Reported as undergoing refurbishment in 2017 to 2018, costing £1.3m.
The pool is managed by GLL (Better) for the council. When the pool opened in 2022, the summer season was restricted to only 42 days which caused outrage amongst the local community that had battled for years to keep their pool open. Campaigns were run in both 2005 and 2015.
| Name | Abbey Meadows Outdoor Pool Abbey Close, Abingdon-upon-Thames, Oxfordshire, OX14 3JE |
| Built / opened | Circa 1950 |
| Cost | |
| Dimensions | Longer length approx 100′, shorter is 75′. Averaged width is 30′. No dimensions found so this is estimated measurement. |
| Water volume | |
| Water type | Freshwater, heated since 1970’s |
| Depth(s) | |
| Diving boards | |
| Water type | |
| Changing facilities | |
| Second pool | |
| Spectator seating | |
| Designer | |
| Date closed | N/A |
| Status | Open |
| On site now | The pool! |
| Links | Abbey Meadows Outdoor Pool |
| Last updated | 23rd September 2024 |
