Built and opened in 1930, Coatham Enclosure included indoor and outdoor pools, ornamental boating lake, amid rock gardens with multi coloured lighting at night. The total cost was £28,000 of which £20,000 was for the two pools. Half of cost was provided by central government.
The outdoor pool opened on 21st June, followed by the covered baths in October. The indoor pool survived into the 1990s before being demolished. The land is still unused.
When the outdoor pool opened it had 48 bathing tents for changing and bathers could hire towels and costumes. Fifty dozen of each had were available.
In 1936 the pool hosted Eugene’s Mermaids. The image shows Eugene’s Mermaids, the first water ballet troupe in England. Channel swimmer Sunny Lowry was a member and can be seen centre rear.
In 1936 the timber raft was replaced with one made of air-filled canvas.
The main outdoor pool was converted into a roller-skating rink in 1951, at a cost of £10,000 and both this and the smaller pool were demolished in the 1960’s.
Today, only the boating lake remains. There is a new recreation centre on part of the old pool / rink site, but the rest of the area remains undeveloped save for the ubiquitous car park.
| Name | Coatham Enclosure Open Air Pool Newcomen Terrace, Redcar, North Yorkshire, TS10 5BJ, England |
| Coordinates | 54°37’11.9″N 1°04’37.4″W |
| Opened | 21st June 1930 by Councillor P G Power, Chairman of the Coatham Enclosure Committee |
| Cost | £20,000 for both the open air and covered baths |
| Dimensions | Oval, approx 190′ x 90′ |
| Capacity (UK gallons) | 600,000 |
| Water type | Sea water |
| Depth(s) | |
| Diving | Stepped fixed diving platform, approx 3m, 1m springboard |
| Changing facilities | 48 bathing tents |
| Second pool | Smaller rectangular pool approx 90′ x 45′ |
| Spectator seating | Bleacher style seating around part of the main pool |
| Designers and contractors | |
| Date closed | Mail pool converted to roller skating rink in 1951. Both demolished in 1960’s |
| Status | Demolished |
| On site now | Car park, recreation centre, waste land |
| Last updated | 1st June 2026 |
Eugene’s Mermaids
