Margate’s 1920s seafront Lido is in a terrible state of repair despite being a listed building. The pool has been closed since the 1980’s and has been filled with sand.
The lido was built by John Henry Iles, the creator of Dreamland – Margate’s celebrated pleasure park.
The Clifton Baths were listed in 2008 due to their importance in British seaside history – they were one of the earliest surviving sea bathing establishments in the country. The remains of the baths are all subterranean but provide a fascinating reminder of the beginning of seaside tourism.
There were other outdoor bathing facilities in Margate and I’ll list these here when the posts are done.
The complex has been in private ownership for some time but finding a suitable scheme that preserves the history of the site and does not compromise the seafront position has so far not proved possible.
| Name | Cliftonville Lido aka Cliftonville Seawater Bathing Pool |
| Built | |
| Opened | 1927 |
| Cost | £60,000 including surrounding buildings |
| Dimensions | 250′ x 150′ |
| Capacity | |
| Depth | 2′ to 9′ |
| Diving | |
| Second pool | |
| Designer | |
| Address | Ethelbert Terrace, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent, CT9 1RX |
| Date closed | 1981 |
| Status | Closed, derelict |
| Notes | |
| Links | Cliftonville Lido – What’s Left? Part of Margate’s historic seafront Lido has collapsed Thanet Council Lido Feasibility Study Feb 2018 |
| Last updated | 7th September 2024 |
Images from 1960, 2007 and 2022
CLIFTONVILLE SEAWATER BATHING POOL
The Clifton Baths Estate, Margate
(By a Special Representative)
THE Clifton Baths Estate at Margate represents a truly remarkable achievement in catering for the enjoyment of seaside holidaymakers. No effort or expense has been spared in order to introduce the latest ideas and equipment, and the variety of high-class diversions enables visitors to spend whole days on the estate without a dull moment.
The chief attraction on the estate is, of course, the seawater bathing pool. This is built actually in the sea and was one of the first pools in this country to be so constructed. It is semi-circular in shape and is sufficiently large to accommodate over 2,000 bathers without over-crowding. Excellent diving apparatus is installed, and, in addition, all the latest devices for providing aquatic amusement are available. For the use of these no additional charges whatsoever are made.
The water for the pool is brought through a culvert which has its source 500 ft. out at sea. This enables a constant supply of clean water to be obtained regardless of the. state of the tides and assures that at all times the water is clean and safe for bathers.
The dressing accommodation attached to the pool is most up to date. Constructors’ locker system being employed. This system was tested in a section of the dressing rooms last season and was found so satisfactory that the entire accommodation has now been converted. Altogether, approximately 2,000 locker compartments have been installed, and 300 of the original cubicles have been retained. The employment of this system provides each bather with his own locker. compartment and, in addition to relieving the work of attendants, enables a steady flow of bathers to pass through the turnstiles, so avoiding the risks of either queues or time limits.
As bathers enter the central bathing hall, they are issued with rubber wrist bands upon which are marked the locker number and corridor letter. This enables the bather to go direct to his locker without waiting. Hired towels and costumes are issued from the same counter, while other recesses provide a buffet and safe deposit for valuables. The wrist band is given up by the bather on passing the exit control.
In the design of these lockers every attention has been given to the question of hygiene, and they are so arranged that, after having been flushed out with a hose, the water drains completely away. They are of galvanised steel construction and white enamelled, and are fitted with coat hooks, trinket bowls, stainless steel mirrors, and ashtrays. A wood seat runs along the entire length of each nest of lockers, under which shoe rails are provided. The installation was carried out by Constructors, Ltd., Birmingham, who are the manufacturers of this equipment.
Foot washing sprays are fitted at the exit from the dressing rooms to the pool. In addition, a large plunge bath is provided in both ladies’ and gentlemen’s dressing rooms, and foot baths and showers are also fitted.
All costumes and towels which are the property of the estate are sterilised and washed in an up-to-date laundry attached to the pool.
One of the chief features at the Cliftonville Swimming Pool is the series of water attractions and competitions which are arranged throughout the season. These are believed to be the finest in the country. A popular feature is the moonlight bathing. After dark, the pool is floodlit, and a searchlight throws a varying-coloured beam over the bathers. This is really a brilliant spectacle and has an immense draw. Other attractions take the form of novelty competitions, and a great amount of time is spent in thinking out new ideas.
Accommodation is provided for many more on a series of terraces cut in the cliff, at the bottom of which the pool is situated. On each of these is a licensed cafe, giving an outlook on to the pool. Six different cafes provide seating accommodation for 3,000 people.
Great care has been exercised in the decoration of the cafes. Each is carried out in a different scheme, the designs for which were prepared by French architects. Perhaps the most remarkable one is the Cafe Basque, in which the rustic treatment of massive wood and stone arches, with tantalising glimpses of hills and trees through the little windows, is taken from the Basque country in the Pyrenees.
There are six orchestras which play continuously throughout the day at various points, and the music is transmitted to the pool by loud-speaker reproduction.
On the cliff top, above the pool, there is a covered swimming bath, hot, sea and freshwater slipper baths, medical baths, a large concert hall, and a bandstand terrace.
Baths and Bath Engineering, July 1935
