A large pool on the edge of Dunstable Downs, in an area known as ‘California’ in ancient times. Now a housing estate, it was a skate park at one time.
| Name | Dunstable Downs Open Air Swimming Pool |
| Built | |
| Opened | 1st June 1935 |
| Cost | |
| Dimensions | 110′ x 45′ |
| Capacity | 170,000 gallons |
| Depth(s) | 3′ to 6′ |
| Diving | |
| Water type | |
| Second pool | |
| Designer | Mr T J S Blake |
| Address | Royce Close, Whipsnade Road, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 2NT |
| Date closed | 1973 |
| Status | Demolished |
| Notes | |
| Links | |
| Last updated | 17th September 2024 |
Article from Baths and Bath Engineering December 1935
The new open-air swimming pool at Dunstable, which was opened by the mayor of the corporation (Ald. A. Cook) in June last, was furnished by Mr J. E. Nelson, of Walthamstow, who decided to build a swimming pool at the foot of Dunstable Downs, on a site which appeared to be ideally adaptable for the purpose.
The pool is 110 ft. by 45 ft. with a water depth of 3 ft. at one end, increasing to 6 ft. at 25 ft. from the deep end, after which the bottom slopes steeply down to form a rectangular diving pit with 8ft. of water.
Purification Plant.
The capacity of the pool is 170,000 gal. of water, all of which had to be pumped from the Dunstable Gas and Water Co.’s works. The total capacity of the pool is passed through the purification plant once every six hours at the rate of 28,350 gal. per hour.
Three connections from the scum trough at the deep end are led into the main suction pipe drawing from the deep end grating, thus ensuring constant surface skimming. In the filter house there is a strainer and two centrifugal pumps, each capable of 50 per cent. of the total duty.
The filter is of the divided wash horizontal “Unifilter’ patent, fitted for cleansing by self-operating air injectors, thus requiring no compressor. The addition of the necessary chemicals is by means of the shunt feed system, each circuit being fitted with a separate visible and positive meter, the adjustment being of the single knob type.
A portion of the filtered water is diverted into a gas fired boiler with thermostat control and after rejoining the main flow it is chlorinated by means of a gas chlorinator of the latest design. The gas fired boiler has a rated output of 1,550,000 B.T.U.’s per hour.
The treated water can be delivered to the cascade aerator or direct into the bath by means of a submerged inlet at the shallow end. This latter is used to avoid loss of temperature or dissipation of chlorine when the pool is not open to the public.
The complete treatment is very compact and was supplied and erected by Messrs. United Filters and Engineering, Ltd., of London.
Situated in front of the building is a water tower, from which the necessary pressure is obtained.
Pool and Surrounds Construction.
Constructed entirely of reinforced concrete of a mix of 1:11/2:3 to ensure watertightness, the pool walls are designed as cantilevers from the pool bottom, and reinforced to resist both earth pressure if the pool should be empty, and water pressure should the soil not offer passive resistance owing to voids behind the wall. The walls are also reinforced longitudinally to take care of parts of the soft chalk foundation which might not give sufficient bearing capacity and are formed to be monolithic with the surround, which is 10ft. wide generally and is also of reinforced concrete placed in situ.
A feature of the wall design is a raised coping by which the double bull-nosed pre-cast non-slip coping blocks are 12 in. above the surround and 9in. above the water level. The ledge thus formed becomes a continuous seat for bathers, preventing leaves and litter from being blown on to the water and tending to clog the filters.
The coping is provided with deep non-slip grooves and is finished in terra-cotta colour thus forming a bright colour scheme with the green terrazzo walls and white tile lines. The surround is finished with buff ” Colourcrete ” rendering.
The pool walls are finished in green and white mottled pre-cast terrazzo slabs up to about the water line, at which level two courses of white tiles throw into relief the tubular handrail and continue the sight line of the scum channel, which last occurs along the deep end only.
At the bottom of the pool black racing tile lines are set flush with a green cement rendered surface.
The ‘size of the bottom tank of the cascade is made exceptionally large to prevent undue water loss due to spray. The cascade is monolithic in reinforced concrete poured in situ and subsequently rendered in Snowcrete.
The outflow is led over a weir down a chute to a sump at the back of the surround at the shallow end, from which it is fed to the pool by two 6 in. dia. pipes, and thus setting up end to end flow in the pool.
At the deep end the reinforced concrete 3 m. diving stage cantilevers from the wall of the pool at an angle of 60 deg ., allowing easy access up steps to the diving platform. Two 1 m. boards are provided, one spring and one fixed, and also a medium slope chute in shallower water. All diving equipment conforms to the Amateur Diving Association standards.
The 12 ft. wide steps with 6 in. risers, which are a feature at the shallow end, provide very easy access to the water for small children.
General.
Beyond the actual surround to the pool are sunbathing beaches, and the ground beyond the pool will eventually be bid out with shrubs, trees, flowers, etc., although, of course, grassy spaces will be left for sun bathers.
In the building are the dressing rooms, a café with kitchen, the purification plant and other accommodation. In the dressing rooms the wire basket system has been adopted for clothes. A hot and cold shower, and a warm footbath, are provided in the dressing rooms.
In addition to the cafe, a roof top tea terrace has been incorporated in the design of the building. The pool and the front of the building is floodlit at night.
In addition to the water, everything, from wire baskets to sun-bathing beaches, is constantly cleansed.
The architect for the scheme was Mr. T. J. S. Blake, B.Sc. (Arch.), F.F.A.S., of Chingford. The reinforced concrete engineers were Messrs. Christiani and Nielsen, Ltd., of London, who also carried out the entire construction.
The pool is run by a staff of 12, under the managership of Mr W. T. J. Servante, and there are two life savers.
