Opened in 1934, this T shaped pool was fed by water from the Manchester Ship Canal and fortunately filtered first. Some excellent photographs are contained in the YouTube video compilation linked below.
| Name | Rivacre Valley Swimming Pool Poole Hall Lane, Ellesmere Port, CH66 1SS |
| Built / opened | 1st August 1934 by Sir Christopher Clayton, MP |
| Cost | £11,775 |
| Dimensions | 165′ x 60′ |
| Capacity | 450,000 (approx calculated) |
| Max depth | 2′ 6″ to 5′ 6″ |
| Diving | 14′ pit |
| Second pool | 120′ x 35′, 6″ to 3′ 6″ |
| Designer | Cecil W Davis Assoc.M.Inst.C.E., Engineer and Surveyor to the Ellesmere Port Urban District Council, |
| Date closed | 1981 |
| Status | Demolished in 1985 and land absorbed into Rivacre Country Park |
| Notes | |
| Links | History | Friends of Rivacre Valley | Ellesmere Port ELESMERE PORT MEMORY LANE, Rivacre Baths |
Opening announcement
The new swimming pool situated in the Rivacre Valley was declared open on August 1 by Sir Christopher Clayton, MP. The main portion of the pool, which is separated from the nonswimmers’ end by a wall, measures 55 yd. by 20 yd., and the depth varies from 3 ft. 6 in. to 14 ft. under the diving board. The learners’ section is 66 by 12 yd. and varies from 6 in. to 3 ft. 6 in.
Water is obtained from the Manchester Ship Canal by pumping through a 4 in. rising main of a length of almost a mile, and will be filtered before entering the pool. The rate of filtration is approximately 56,333 gal. per hour, and ensures the complete circulation of the whole of the water in the pool once in every eight hours.
The plant comprises two horizontal air-scoured pressure filters, each 8 ft. in diameter and 14 ft. 6 in. in
length, chemical apparatus for treating the water in circulation with a solution of alumina and soda, and chlorinator and ammoniator. There are sunbathing and spectators’ terraces, a cafe and ample dressing accommodation.
Baths and Baths Engineering August 1934
Rivacre Valley Swimming Pool
By CECIL W. DAVIS, Assoc.M.Inst.C.E., Engineer and Surveyor to the Ellesmere Port Urban District Council, and Designer of the Pool.
AN important consideration which influenced the selection of the Rivacre Valley as the site of the swimming pool was its proximity to the Manchester Ship Can al, this being the nearest source from which a supply of salt wat er could be obtained, and once this choice h ad been made it became apparent that care would have to be taken in the preparation of the plans, in order to ensure that the pool, and the buildings to be erected in conjunction with it , would harmonise. with the very beautiful landscape of the valley.
It was therefore decided to avoid the use of concrete for any part of the pool which would rise above ground level, to rely upon rustic brickwork for any elevational effects required, and to ensure that quality of finish and appearance should take precedence over every other consideration, in order that the pool, with its garden effect, might, if possible, enhance the natural beauty of its surroundings.
The council were advised that, if these objects were to be secured, it would not be possible to construct a pool having a length of 100m. without incurring expenditure considerably in excess of the sum which they had in mind when the scheme was under consideration, and it was therefore decided that the design should embody certain novel features.
The principal contractor for the construction of the pool was Mr. Harry Fairclough, of Howley, Warrington, and several subsidiary contracts in respect of ancillary. works were let to certain other firms.
The Pool and Its Surrounds.
The council decided to be content with a swimming area 50 m. in length, and to add to it a smaller shallow area for the use of non-swimmers and young children. The shape of the completed pool is, in consequence, in the form of the letter “T,” the ”head” being separated from the ”leg” by an island wall, rising to a few inches above water-level.
The main portion of the pool is 55 yd. in length. and 20 yd. in width, and it has been designed to comply with the requirements of the Amateur Swimming Association. Its depth varies from 2ft. 6 in. at the island wall to 14 ft. in the diving pit, ‘and at the deep end a standard polo area having a minimum depth of water of 5 ft. 6 in. is available.
The shallow portion of the pool is 120 ft. long ‘by 35 ft. wide, and varies in depth from 6 in. to 3 ft. 6 in. The pool is surrounded by bathers’ terraces, which have a width of 15 ft., except at the shallow end, where this width is greatly increased to provide room for the two cascade aerators.
The bathers’ terraces are completely separated from the spectators’ terraces by a continuous flower bed between dwarf walls of rustic brickwork, which is 5 ft. in width · and surrounds the whole pool. This is an essential part of the design, for not only does it assist in giving the desired “garden” effect, but it definitely precludes the possibility of spectators walking upon the bathers’ terraces.
The lay-out of the pool and the buildings within its enclosure is such that a person desiring to bathe and having obtained admission at the entrance block, will enter one of the cubicle blocks, and, in return for his ticket entitling him to bathe, will receive from the attendant a rubber band bearing the number of his locker. This locker can be locked by the bather by merely closing the door, but can only be unlocked by the attendant, who possesses the master key. The bather, when ready to bathe, passes the shower baths, foot wash pedestal, etc., and he must pass through the foot bath before reaching the bathers’ terraces. As has already been mentioned, once having reached the bathers, terraces, he can only leave them by either returning to the cubicle block or passing through the footbath located at the shallow end of the pool, between the two cascade aerators, and along the path leading to the cafe. It will thus be seen that the possibility of surface contamination of the surrounds has been eliminated so far as is practicable.
The cafe adjoins the spectators’ terrace at the shallow end of the pool, and as this is some feet above the level of the bathers’ terraces, a view of the whole scene can be obtained from the café terrace, such view terminating at the filter house at the deep end of the pool exactly opposite the cafe.
A diving stage (consisting of a 5 m. firm board, a 3 m. springboard, and five graded boards at varying heights), a 1 m. springboard, and a bath side spring board have been provided at the deep end of the pool, and it ·is intended that two water chutes shall be added when circumstances permit.
The diving stage and boards and bath-side ladders have ·been supplied and fixed by Messrs. H. Hunt and Sons, of Liverpool. The estimated cost of the whole scheme is £11,775.
The foregoing description is extract ed from the souvenir brochure issued at the opening of the pool.
