A 1950’s lido saved by a local campaign and built on the site of a Roman villa. Apparently it is still there, under the pool. The pool on Holywell Mead replaced one at Desborough Recreation Ground that closed in 1947. There was also a section of the dyke that runs to the south of the pool designated as a swimming bath.
The campaign led to Wycombe District Council appointing Fusion Lifestyle as the new operator for the pool. Fusion was granted a 50-year lease to carry out remedial work to bring the Grade II-listed pool back into use then to operate it. Fusion planned to invest more than £1m in revamping the pool and to provide new facilities to ensure the venue is sustainable. The first phase would see the pool open for the summer of 2011.
Meanwhile, a second stage would see the pool building and adjacent Rye Centre revamped to house a new 40-station gym with studio space and a café.
| Name | High Wycombe Open Air Swimming Pool aka Holywell Mead aka Wycombe Rye Lido |
| Built / opened | 1st June 1957 Re-opened 27th May 2011 |
| Cost | 1957 – £82,550 2022 – Refurbishment £2m |
| Dimensions | 110′ x 48′ |
| Capacity | |
| Water type | Freshwater, heated |
| Depth(s) | 3′ to 10′ |
| Diving boards | 5 metre firm, 3 metre firm, 3 metre and 1 metre international springboard, and a bathside board. |
| Changing facilities | 94 cubicles with 450 Hy-gard-all hangers |
| Second pool | Childrens pool 75′ x 25′ |
| Spectator seating | |
| Designer | |
| Date closed | 2009 then re-opened 2011 |
| Status | Open |
| On site now | The pool |
| Links | We Saved Holywell Mead Swimming Pool | Facebook Wycombe Rye Lido – Outdoor Swimming Pool | Gym – Fusion Lifestyle Fusion Lifestyle breathe new life in to Wycombe Rye Lido |
Advertisment for swimming pool superintendent Baths Journal January 1957
BOROUGH OF HIGH WYCOMBE
Swimming Pool Superintendent
Superintendent required for new Open Air Pool.
Salary on Grade A.P.T. I (£543 5s. 0d.—£625 5s. 0d.).
Starting date 1st April, 1957.
Time off in winter months in lieu of overtime.
Housing accommodation available.
Applications, stating age, qualifications, details of experience of swimming pool maintenance (including
filtration and chlorination plant), staff supervision and general administration with names of two
referees, to Town Clerk by 18th January, 1957.
Baths Service Journal, January 1958
High Wycombe Open Air Swimming Pool – Holywell Mead
By L H Proctor BSc, A.M.I.M.E.
PLANNING
The closing of the open-air Swimming Pool at Desborough Recreation Ground in 1947 meant that the town was without swimming facilities of any description.
Representations were made immediately to the Ministry of Health for approval to the provision of a new and up-to-date Swimming Pool. In view of the conditions prevailing at that time—shortage of building labour and materials, and also funds—no progress was made.
In October 1953. a further meeting was arranged between representatives of the Ministry and the Borough Council, at which the Council was supported by the local Member of Parliament. The Ministry duly confirmed that they were of the opinion that a new Swimming Pool was necessary at High Wycombe.
Various sites were considered, and ultimately it was decided to utilise the site at Holywell Mead. The area was formerly the site of a Roman Villa and farmhouse. The Ministry of Works were informed of the Council’s intention and took the opportunity of carrying out extensive excavations. The site adjoins the Rye Mead, an open space of 31 acres owned by the Corporation and used for recreational purposes.
The necessary plans and specifications were prepared under the direction of the Borough Engineer and Surveyor. The scheme was finally adopted by Council, tenders were invited, and application was made to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government for permission to proceed with the scheme.
This was forthcoming on 31st January 1956. the total estimated cost being £82,550.
CONSTRUCTION
The contractors were Messrs. Bierrum and Partners Limited of Harrow, who commenced work on the site on 30th April 1956.
The scheme includes: —
(1) Main Pool
(2) Children’s Pool
(3) Main Block
(4) Subsidiary Block
(5) Filtration Plant
(6) Pool Surround, etc.
(7) Access
(8) Drainage
(9) Services.
Main Pool
The Main Pool is 110-feet long, 48-feet wide, and the depth increasing from 3-feet to 10-feet. It was constructed in reinforced concrete, the floor being of sufficient thickness to counteract the hydro static pressure due to the level of the water table. The Pool conforms with the A.S.A. requirements for size and recesses have been formed to accommodate the six accesses, steps at the shallow end, ladders in the centre and at the deep end, leaving the area of the Pool clear for use in competitions. The coping to the Pool is buff coloured unglazed terra cotta weathered towards the Pool and has a non-slip surface. The scum channel is ivory coloured glazed faience connected approximately every 15 feet to the scum ring main. Glazed faience tiling provides continuity around the recesses.
The diving stage comprises the following boards: —
5 metre firm, 3 metre firm, 3 metre and 1 metre international springboard, and a bathside board.
The concrete surface of the Pool has been treated with a paint suitable for underwater surfaces.
On a design basis of 20 square feet per bather, the Pool accommodates 264 bathers.
Children’s Pool
The Children’s Pool is 75-feet long, 25-feet wide, and the depth of water varying between 15-inches and 18-inches. The coping is similar to that of the main Pool. A tubular handrail has been provided and fixed at top water level for the safety of small children.
Main Block
The building is of traditional construction, the external bricks are handmade facings. The internal facings in the wings arc sand lime bricks, whilst the central portion is plastered.
Central Portion
- This consists of: —
- Foyer.
- Hall with Pay Desk and two reversible turnstiles with pass-gales for perambulators, etc. The Pay Desk is of timber framed construction with hardboard panels.
- Superintendent’s Office overlooks the Main Pool and is situated on one side of the spectators’ entrance to the Pool surround whilst the First Aid Room is on the other.
- Staff Room. Store and 2 Cupboards complete the Central Portion.
- Wings accommodating the basket store, changing cubicles and bathers’ showers and lavatories.
Provision has been made for 47no. Changing Cubicles for each sex, the construction being in wrought timber with Plimberite partitions and the usual fittings. The Basket Stores are fitted with 450 Hy-guard clothes hangers in each. This was constructed in wrought timber clad with sheets of Expamet.
There are 4no. showers for each sex enclosed by terrazzo partitions. Hot water is provided by gas fired boilers. The cold water is obtained from an indirect tank over the boiler house. Wading pools are provided to ensure that bathers’ feet are cleansed before entering the Pool.
A spectators’ stepped terrace is provided on each side of the central portion overlooking the Pool and abutting the external wall of the changing cubicles.
Subsidiary Block
The building is of two storeys and of traditional construction. The subsidiary block comprises the Refreshment Room, the Filtration House, and Spectators’ Loggias and Lavatories.
The refreshment room is built over the Filtration House. It is intended for the serving of light refreshments only. Access to it is from the concrete staircase at loggia level, which also affords access to the fiat roof above.
The Filtration House accommodates the Filtration Plant described in the next section.
The Spectators’ Loggias and Lavatories are situated at Pool Surround level on either side of the Filtration House for use by spectators.
Filtration Plant
The Filtration Plant is capable of providing a 6 hour “turnover period” for the Main Pool and a 2-and-a-half-hour turnover period” for the Children’s Pool.
The plant comprises: —
- 1no strainer Box 8-inch. with spare strainer.
- 2no circulating Pumps – 1 Full Duty Centrifugal Pump capable of dealing with 700 g.p.m. against a total head of 40-feet.
- 1no half-duty Centrifugal Pump capable of dealing with 350 g.p.m. against a total head of 40-feet. This pump is used for washing out and maintaining the purity of the water with a light bathing load.
- 2no Electric Motors with air brake starters.
- 1no set of coagulant injection gear for the addition of the alumina to the water. The apparatus being operated by a differential pressure set up by the insertion of a throat. The rate of flow is directly proportional to the rate of flow of water.
- Triple flow panel indicating rates of injection of the chemicals and shows the quantity of water passing through the plant.
- 4no. 8 ft. diameter Vertical Filters giving a filtration rate of 210 gallons per square foot per hour. The media consists of four 2 and a half in. layers of granite chippings graded one eight in., one to one and a half inch., and a 2 ft. depth of sand.
- 1no Hydrair—Motorless Air Compressor for supplying the necessary compressed air for washing and filters.
- 1no Internal Aerator—a mild steel cylindrical tank through which water falls interrupted by a series of horizontal baffles.
- 1no manually controlled vacuum solution feed chlorinator with a maximum capacity of 100 lbs.1 per 24 hours.
- 1no Wallace and Tiernan vacuum operated soda dosing apparatus.
Pipes and vales are cast iron throughout, being flanged in the filtration and spigot and socket under the Pool surround.
Pool Surround
The surround has been laid with a fall of 1 in 48 away from the Pool to a surface water channel. The surround is surfaced with granite aggregate paving slabs tinted buff and red in a chequered pattern. Due to the presence of a considerable depth of vegetable soil over the site, it was necessary to replace this with a suitable material up to formation level and then lay a 4 in. reinforced concrete slab to receive the paving.
The dwarf brick surround walls are of 9 in. brick work approximately 1 ft. 3 in. above the surround level finished with a 9 in. x 3 in. Clipsham stone coping. The wall between the Main and Children’s Pool is 2 ft. 6 in. high to afford a physical barrier between the two Pools.
At the shallow end between the Pool and the Subsidiary Block a cascade has been erected to provide external aeration of the filtered water. The remaining area between the dwarf wall and the 6 ft. high unclimbable fence is to be seeded and used for sunbathing.
Access
Vehicular access to the site is gained by means of a 16 feet wide reinforced concrete access road terminating in a car and cycle park at the east side of the Pool. Vehicular access has been provided to the Filtration House and also on to the Pool surround from the car park, should this be necessary.
Drainage
Foul drainage is discharged by gravity across Holywell Mead into the Corporation’s new 33 in. diameter Foul Sewer, which runs alongside the River Wye.
Surface Water from the buildings and Pool Surround is carried to several soakaways constructed in concrete rings carried down into the ballast.
Services
The gas supply was obtained from the existing 14 in. diameter trunk main situated very near to the southern boundary of the Pool. The water supply was available from the Corporation’s 9 in. diameter trunk main located about 150 feet north of the main block.
The electricity supply had to be brought from London Road via Park Street and laid alongside the Foul Sewers across Holywell Mead.
This project, along with the facilities already existing in the grounds of Bassetsbury Manor, and the running track and sports grounds, forms part of the Council’s plan to develop Holywell Mead as a recreational area.
