Charlton Lido

Open and updated pool. One of the four London County Council lido’s built in the 1930’s. The others are Parliament Hill, Victoria Park and Brockwell Park. Refurbished in advance of the London Olympics in 2012 and re-opened in 2013.

Baths and Bath Engineering, July 1939

Charlton Playing Fields Lido – London’s new swimming pool

Having an enclosure covering an area of approximately one acre in Charlton Playing Fields the new lido, which was officially opened in May last, includes a children’s pool, a feature introduced for the first time in London County Council lidos.

In the vestibule of the main entrance to the lido is the pay office for bathers. women being accommodated on the right of it and men on the left.

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool, which is lined with blue glazed bricks, is 165ft, long by 66ft. wide, the water being 2ft. 6in. to 9ft. 6in. deep. The patent scum trough used consists of a deep, slotted trough of glazed fireclay, which not only allows for the top water circulation or scumming, but it is claimed, also removes impurities throughout the depth where concentration is greatest. It is pointed out by the manufacturers hint the new scum trough does not necessitate special construction, also it is easily cleaned and generally enhances the appearance of the pool. This system was full described and illustrated in our January 1939 issue.

The surround to the pool is paved with butt pre-cast paving slabs. The pool is provided with a 5m. diving board, 2m., and 3m. boards, one fixed and one sprung, 1m. springboard and 1m. fixed board, as well as water chutes for adults and children.

Children’s Pool

The children ‘s pool is 66 ft. by 20 ft, with steps down at each end that run the full width of the pool, which is 2 ft. deep at each end and 2 ft. 6 in. deep in the centre.

Filtration Plant

The main pool has capacity of 438,000 gal. of water, and the children’s pool a capacity of 19,000 gal. The water of the two pools is turned over simultaneously in a period of five hours, the filtration plant, which was installed by the Turn-Over Filter Co., Ltd. of Belfast, having a total output of 91,000 gal. per hour. For this duty, three 9 ft. diameter patent Uneek filters are employed, operating at a speed of filtration of 480 gal. per sq. ft. per hour.

Two pumping plants are installed, each capable of dealing with half the total capacity. This enables economies to be effected. when bathing is slack – one pump only need be kept in operation.

The chemical treatment apparatus comprises the Turn-Over Filter Co.’s latest type of closed pressure feed which automatically proportions the dosage according to the flow passing. Sterilisation is carried out by the company’s “B” type chlorine gas apparatus. fitted with patent volumetric displacement meter for measuring the quantity of gas passing at any time.

A safety device in the form of a vacuum breaker is attached to the chlorinometer; this prevents ingress of moisture and also provides an emergency blow to atmosphere. The chlorine gas apparatus operates on a closed circuit, so that there is no possibility of escape of gas taking place in the actual filter-house.

With regard to the discharge of filtered water, this is taken to the shallow end of the pool, where two aerators are fixed at each corner of the building. The water passes from these through special spreader pipes to the shallow end.The wading pools are also connected to the filtration system, so that the water in these is filtered as in the large and small pools. A special arrangement is provided so as to maintain a constant level in the foot baths.

Owing to the extensive pipe work in connection with the main suction and delivery connections between the pools and the plant, special care had to be exercised in the laying of these, and all sizes of pipes had to be accurately calculated to ensure uniformity in flow from the respective pools, including the wading pools.

The Turn-Over Filter Co. point out: “No air, steam or other power is required for the washing of the filters, these being cleansed by low pressure water drawn from the main  pool and fed to special sand ejectors which draw the filtering medium from the base of  each respective section and discharge it through special sand washing tubes back into  the top, where the clean sand is returned to the bed and the wash water carrying  impurities is discharged to waste. No loss of sand takes place either when filtering or when washing. The filter bed is of uniform quality throughout and is composed of the very finest quality of silica sand. The high straining efficiency of the filters is such that the very minimum quantity of chemicals is required for complete verification. This only amounts to an average of 0.1 grain. per gal. of pool capacity.”

All the chemical treating plant for coagulant and alkali is constructed of cast iron containers with special acid-resisting lead lining. The chlorine gas apparatus is, of course. mainly of virgin silver or else heavily silver-plated to resist the action of the chlorine gas.

Dressing Accommodation

Provision is made for 1,736 wire clothes baskets. The dressing cubicles, 150 in number, are constructed with jointless glazed walls and self-opening Flexometal ” flush doors. Foot and shower baths are provided, and access to the pools can only be obtained through the wading pool on either side of the main pool at the deep end.

General

A cafe. situated on a raised terrace for the use of sun bathers, is so planned as to be available both by bathers using the pool and sun bathers.

The other buildings for service purposes consist of an ambulance and observation rooms, staff mess room, filter house and store.

Drinking fountains are provided on the surrounds, two being placed at the deep end of the main pool and one at each end of the children’s pool. The aerators (one of which is shown in the accompanying illustration), are in purpose-made faience material, the lower portion and the dwarf wall to the basement being in a blue eggshell mottle and the background and corner piers in cream eggshell mottle.

At the main entrance are two straight arm turnstiles: also installed elsewhere are two special cage pattern registering type foot-controlled turnstiles 7 ft. by 4 ft. 6 in. diameter, and four special cage pattern exit turnstiles 7 ft. high by 4 ft. 6 in. diameter.

The bicycle storage accommodation consists of 60 precast concrete blocks, each one of which has a special recess to hold either wheel of a bicycle. The locks are partly let into the surface and each block, measuring 2 ft. long by 1 ft. wide by 4 in deep, weighs  approximately 80 lb., and it requires no maintenance.

The total cost of the scheme, including filtration plant, is approximately £28,000. The whole of the work has been carried out from plans prepared in the Parks Department of the London County Council and under the supervision of the Chief Officer of that Department.

Contractors

The general contractors were Messrs. Thomas and Edge, Ltd., of London,

Amongst the subcontractors were

• Sir W. H. Bailey and Co., Ltd. Salford, Manchester – turnstiles
• Carter and Co, (London), Ltd. – aerators
• Flexo Plywood Industries, Ltd., London – Flexometal dressing cubicle and w.c. doors.
• Potter Rax Gate Co., Ltd., London – wire clothes baskets
• Shaws Glazed Brick Co., Ltd., Darwen, Lanes – glazed bricks and scum trough to swimming pool.
• Stelcon (Industrial Floors), Ltd., London – bicycle parking blocks
• Turn-Over Filter Co., Ltd., Belfast – water purification plant.
• Charles Wicksteed and Co. (1920), Ltd., Kettering – diving stages and chutes.