Guildford Lido

Guildford Lido was constructed, as were many lidos, to provide work for locals. 90 men were employed initially, rising to 120 at the end of the project. The Mayor, William Harvey had formed the Work Fund Scheme, and it was he that opened the pool, wearing a swimming costume underneath his mayoral robes and making the first dive into the pool. The opening ceremony attracted 8,000 spectators.

The lido had two aerator fountains, one at each end of the pool. There were also two long, thin paddling pools on the northern side. By 2013 these were converted to splash pads and the two aerator fountains have been removed and repurposed as planters.

At the entrance to the site, on Stoke Road, is the “Lido Lodge”. This was housing for the pool Superintendent; this post often included on site accommodation for the Superintendent and his wife. Often the Superintendents wife would be employed as the matron of the pool.

The pool was refurbished in 1989 and this included shortening the pool by 5′ to make it suitable for competitions. The pool was further re-lined in 2002.

When the pool opened for the 2013 season, to celebrate its 80th birthday, the Mayor of Guildford, Diana Lockyear-Nibbs recreated the opening ceremony by taking the first dive.

In 2023, the pool had a £2.1m refurbishment that included new changing facilities and a range of sustainable improvements.

More refurbishment took place at the end of the 2024 season, with current Mayor Sallie Barker MBE reviving the tradition of being the first to jump in.