Finchley Lido
A fairly unremarkable London lido with a spectacular children’s pool of almost the same dimensions. It was the first heated swimming pool in London but it never got above tepid…
Filled in
Tamworth Open Air Swimming Pool
Tamworths open air swimming pool was built to replace a Victorian indoor pool in the town centre. It was built in the grounds of Tamworth Castle. Whilst a relatively small…
West Heath Lido aka The Bath Tub
The West Heath Lido, an oval pool with a sloping shingle beach section at one end, was opened in July 1937 by Gracie Fields and with Mr Ronald Cartland, MP…
Worthing Lido
This lido started life as a bandstand with the current building created in 1925 and converted to a lido in 1959. A bandstand had been on the site since 1897.…
Abbey Fields Outdoor Pool aka Kenilworth Lido
A pool with a long history on an historic site, it finally closed and was demolished in 2021 after a long battle by a local campaign group. The first swimming…
Southend Seawater Bathing Pool, aka Westcliff Open Air Pool
The first training venue for the City of Southend-on-Sea Swimming Club, this long pool running parallel with the shore was opened in 1915. Images of the pool almost look like…
Weston-super-Mare Open Air Pool
Typical late 1930’s seaside lido but with a stunning and unique diving board arrangement. Apparently, this was the highest diving board in the country at the time it was built.…
South Bay Bathing Pool Scarborough
Originally constructed just after the outbreak of WWI, various facilities were added including a cafe and spectator seating in 1916. Significant additions were made in the 1930’s at a cost…
Wandsworth Open Air Pool
One of a number of baths in the London Borough of Wandsworth, the open air pool followed two new enclosed baths built in the 1930’s. I can well imagine the…
Gladstone Park Open Air Pool
Shaped like a kidney bean, this pool was opened in 1903 by Lord Aberdeen. All the construction work, which commenced on 2 March 1903, was carried out by the Engineer’s…