In 1928, as part of the local authority’s foreshore development, the Embassy Ballroom was built on Grand Parade and between the ballroom and the sea was the open air pool.
It was remodelled in 1982 and completely rebuilt in 1999 as the Embassy Theatre Complex so the current pool is adjacent and a lot smaller.
| Name | Embassy Open Air Pool Grand Parade, Skegness, Lincolnshire, PE25 2UG |
| Built / opened | 1928 |
| Cost | |
| Dimensions | 330′ x 75′ |
| Capacity | 780,000 gallons |
| Water type | Sea water, filtered and chlorinated |
| Depth(s) | 3′ at either end and 7′ in the centre |
| Diving boards | |
| Changing facilities | |
| Second pool | |
| Spectator seating | |
| Designer | |
| Date closed | Circa 1980 |
| Status | Filled in |
| On site now | Smaller pool on adjacent part of site |
| Notes | |
| Links |
Feature article in Baths and Bath Engineering, November 1935
Open-air Bathing Pool, Skegness
By C. J. GOULSON, the Superintendent
This pool, which is on the East Coast, and which was opened as long ago as 1928, is one of the largest open-air sea-water bathing pools in the country. It is situated in a prominent position on the sea front and has all the amenities of the most modern lido, being well provided with seating accommodation as well as a terrace, which surrounds three sides of the pool.
Every comfort is provided for the bathers and spectators, including deck chairs, tub chairs, and day bungalows, these bungalows being fitted up with every facility to make their occupiers’ visit to the bathing pool a camping holiday.
The pool is 330 ft. by 75 ft., with a depth varying from 3 ft. at the shallow ends to 7 ft. in the centre, and it contains 780,000 gal. of filtered and sterilised sea water. During the season this pool deals with a daily bathing load of 4,000, and on Bank holidays and other special occasions this load is considerably increased.
Adjacent to the large pool is a children’s paddling pool, also supplied with filtered and sterilised sea water, while spacious sun-bathing lawns are further provided.
Above the children’s paddling pool is situated one of the latest and most up-to-date designs of cascade aerator, which has been specially constructed to designs prepared by the council’s engineer.
High diving and low diving stages are provided, as well as water chutes, rafts, etc. The pool being the standard length of 100 m., enables national and international events to be held.
Considerable improvements were carried out before the commencement of the present bathing season, and extensions were made to the dressing accommodation, which has been augmented by adopting the wire container system (each bather being· supplied with a numbered rubber band corresponding to the number on the container), thus enabling an increased number of patrons to take full advantage of the bathing pool.
Under the direction of the urban district council’s engineer, Mr. R. H. Jenkins, M.I.M and Cy. E., considerable alterations and improvements have been made to the continuous filtration and sterilisation plant for dealing with the contents of this pool, as well as for dealing with the sea water which is used for filling the pool and for make-up water to compensate for losses clue to overflow, absorption, etc., as well as the wash water required for the purification plant.
The original filtration plant installed had a capacity of 50,000 gal. of water per hour but, due to increasing bathing loads as well as to other circumstances, it was found that the capacity of this plant was inadequate to provide a water in every way up to the standard demanded by the bathing public of to-day. During last winter considerable extensions and alterations were carried out in connection with the purification plant, in order to ensure that the water in the pool maintained a standard of purity equal to the highest demands of its patrons.
In the first place, a new powerful electrically driven pump has been installed for pumping the water from the sea, this being delivered into large covered reinforced concrete settling tanks, which were also constructed at the end of last season, and which have a capacity of 100,000 gal. In these tanks, the crude sea water is allowed to settle for some hours, after which, it is drawn from the tanks, either for filling the bath at the commencement of the season of for supplying the necessary make-up water required owing to losses by evaporation or being carried away by the bathers in their costumes, or for the cleansing of the filtration plant.
The new filtration plant, comprising two 8 ft. diameter by 18 ft. long on the flat horizontal type ” E ” pressure filters, was installed, and it is interesting to note that these filters are of special design, so constructed that each filter shell is divided into separate compartments, thus ensuring complete control over the whole area of the filter bed, as well as perfect distribution of the filtered water, the scour air and scour water during the cleansing process. By dividing up these large filter units, which is a speciality of the firm who supplied the plant, accurate control of every portion of the filter bed is obtained; further, the amount of power and wash-water required during the cleansing process is reduced to a minimum.
These filters are fitted with a special strainer system, which is not only effective in the distribution of the water either during filtration or washing out, but the strainers themselves are constructed of acid, or saline water resisting materials throughout. Further, by their special design, no sand whatsoever can pass through the filters to the swimming pool.
On the main delivery from these filters is fitted an orifice flange and flow meter, so that the volume of water being filtered may readily be ascertained at any moment, giving the attendant in charge complete control of the apparatus.
This filtration plant is capable of dealing with an additional 80,000 gal. of water per hour and, combined with the existing plant, the total quantity of water dealt with per hour amounts to 130,000 gal-giving a six-hour turnover period in the bathing pool. The filters are of the air scour type and are specially designed and constructed for dealing with water having a high saline content.
Apart from this, the main contractors have supplied one of their open-type constant strength chemical plants, for supplying the necessary chemical solutions not only to the filtration plant supplied by them but also to the filtration plant which was installed some years ago. The chemicals are injected in correct positions in the suction mains by means of specially designed chemical injection pumps, thus, ensuring accurate dosage of the chemicals in proportion to the flow of water passing. With this system of chemical plant, through mixing of the chemicals in the water prior to entering the filters is ensured, and by this means the quantity of chemicals used is reduced to a minimum, while the results obtained from the filtration plant are equal to the highest standard.
Further additions include the installation of a chloramine apparatus, comprising one of Messrs. Wallace and Tiernan’s B.D. P. I. M. chlorinators, having a capacity of 40 lb. of chlorine per 24 hours, and one of their manual control direct-feed type ammoniators, type B.D.P.A.M., having a capacity of 5 lb. anhydrous ammonia per 24 hours.
All this additional plant was supplied and installed by Messrs. Ricks, Sutcliffe and Bowden, Ltd., of London, and a special feature of this installation is the fact that the whole of the chemical and sterilising plant is housed in a building which is on view to the public at all times.
The installation was carried out under the supervision of Mr. L. J. Graves-Smith, senior technical assistant to the engineer’s department.
Since the new installation has been in operation the water in the swimming pool has maintained a high standard of purity, and in samples taken during heavy bathing load periods, no B. coli has been found in quantities up to 100 c.c., while a pin could clearly be seen in the deepest part of the pool.
