Gifted to the people by Crawshay Bailey Jr. in the 1880s, Bailey Park was officially opened in 1884. The pool was approved in 1938 and a tender for construction accepted in 1938. It opened in May1940.
The pool was an immediate success and a report in the Abergavenny Chronicle of 7th June 1940 confirms takings for the first 3 days was £40 (around £2,800 in 2025). A children’s season ticket at the time cost 7 shillings and 6 pence. As well as swimming the pool was used by local for water polo.
Despite closure in 1996, the derelict remains were extant for some years. The three pools lay idle, but not empty, since the town council reluctantly decided to close it amid health and safety fears. The decision to demolish to pool was taken after fears were expressed by Abergavenny town councillors over the danger to youngsters breaking in.
A group was established in 2017 to attempt to back open air swimming to the region but it was disbanded in November 2024. The group had tried to get new volunteers to help move the project forward as the existing group had become tired of the lack of support from Monmouthshire Council but none were forthcoming.
Many thanks to Sue Smith from the Abergavenny Local History Society for providing clarification on the opening date and newspaper articles from 1940 that confirmed some of the details below.
| Name | Bailey Park Swimming Pool Park Avenue, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, NP7 5SG |
| Built / opened | 30th May 1940 by Mayor W. Rosser (not 1938, as commonly quoted) |
| Cost | £6,500 |
| Dimensions | 130′ x 42′ |
| Water volume | 162,000 gallons |
| Water type | Freshwater |
| Depth(s) | 2′ 9″ to 8′ 6″ |
| Diving boards | 1m, 3, and 5m fixed boards |
| Changing facilities | 55 changing cubicles surrounding the pool |
| Second pool | Square childrens bath approx. 60′ x 40′ and circular paddling pool |
| Spectator seating | N/A |
| Designer | Mr F J Mansfield, Borough Surveyor |
| Date closed | 1996 |
| Status | Demolished and filled in 2006 |
| On site now | Mainly grass with small sensory garden |
| Links | Rasio yn Lido Bailey Park Pool, Y Fenni yn yr 1960au – BBC News Is the tide turning for lidos in Wales? – BBC News Abergavenny Local History Society |
| Last updated | 29th May 2025 |
Baths and Bath Engineering June 1938
At a recent meeting of the corporation it was reported by a joint meeting of the sanitary, water, and physical training committees that grants would be forthcoming from the National Fitness Council for the provision of an open-air swimming pool and the committee recommended the corporation to make application for a grant. The site recommended for approval was land adjoining the park bowling green and tennis courts.
Baths and Bath Engineering June 1939
The corporation have accepted the tender of J. G. Thomas and Sons, Abergavenny, at £4,484, for the construction of a swimming pool in Bailey Park.
