Sandford Parks Lido

Sandford Parks Lido was opened on 25 May 1935, beginning with a procession of open-top motor cars travelling from the Municipal Offices to the Lido, carrying the Mayor of Cheltenham and his wife, along with dignitaries from neighbouring cities and towns.

In September 2024, the pool announced that it would change its name to Cheltenham Lido from the start of the 2025 season.

Announcement in Baths and Bath Engineering September 1934

The municipal corporation is to construct a bathing pool at Sandford Park at an estimated cost of £14,460.

Announcement in Baths and Bath Engineering June 1935

An open-air swimming pool in Sandford Park, which cost about £15,700, was opened by the municipal corporation on May 25. The pool is in a site of about five acres, and is heated-an addition to the original plan with the view of extending both ends of the swimming season and the whole of the 500,000 gal. of water can be filtered every six hours.

Report of opening Baths and Bath Engineering July 1935

Sandford Park Open-Air Swimming Pool., Borough of Cheltenham.

After very careful consideration, the town council decided early in 1934 to proceed with the construction of this pool. Following the holding of a public inquiry in April of that year, sanction to raise the necessary loan was given by the Ministry of Health, and constructional work actively commenced on October 15, 1934.

A site containing 4^1/2 acres adjoining Sandford Park was acquired for the purpose. The ground rises slightly to the south-west, and consequently the pool stands a little above the level of the park, which fact is regarded as a valuable asset. From trial holes sunk before work commenced, the ground appeared to be in every way satisfactory, but as excavation for the work proceeded, considerable deposits of peat were encountered, and where these occurred below bath level, had to be excavated and replaced by 10: 1 Portland cement concrete. Further, at the deep end, where the depth of water is 9 ft. the Chelt gravel beds, which are notoriously water bearing, were entered, and this also influenced the decision to keep the pool as high as possible.

The council from the outset, were anxious to have a good scheme which should harmonise with the adjoining park, and, at the same time, provide the town and its visitors with a sound amenity. The buildings, apart from dressing cabins, are of brickwork with Stonehouse handmade facings to plinth level, and Snowcrete finish above. All roofs are covered with hand-made multi-coloured Broseley tiles, finished with large section half round ridge tiles and bonnet hips.

The main building comprises a wide entrance with turnstiles, two ticket offices, first-aid room and superintendent’s office. On each side in quadrant form are 60 (to be increased to 90) dressing cabins for each sex, at the ends of which are buildings to accommodate racks for dressing baskets, showers, foot sprays and lavatories. Three hundred and twenty baskets are provided for each sex, and this number can be doubled, if necessary, without extending the buildings.

The pool, which measures 165 ft. by 90 ft., is of reinforced concrete, in which are two transverse expansion joints. At the suggestion of the Ministry of Health all steel next the surfaces in contact with water is stressed at 12,000 lb. per sq. in. as a maximum. The depth of water increases from 3 ft. to 6 ft. 6 in., and at the deep end there is, in addition, a well 9 ft. deep beneath a 5 m. diving stage. The bath is so constructed as to allow an area 90 ft. by 60 ft., with a minimum depth of 6ft. to permit water polo matches of championship status. Two water chutes are provided, one 17 ft. 6 in. high for adults, and one 4 ft. 6 in. high for children.

The interior of the pool is lined with Snowcrete, brought to a smooth surface, and the floor is divided into nine racing lanes by means of black tiles. Expansion joints have been masked by similar tiles. There are white glazed scum channels at each end, the one at the shallow end being 3 in. above, and the other at the deep end 1 in. below top water level. White glazed tiles are fixed round the top 18 in. of the walls to admit of easy cleaning, and the usual handrails and six pairs of teak vertical steps are provided.

A bathers’ deck 15 ft. wide surrounds the pool, and this is surfaced with special non-slip-coloured concrete slabs, manufactured at the corporation’s own slab works. These are laid with a good fall away from the pool, into a channel which removes all washings to the drains. A black non-slip artificial stone coping immediately surrounds the pool, this colour having been chosen to provide a sharp contrast to the white lining of the pool already referred to. Outside the bathers’ deck there is a promenade for spectators, the two being separated by a low stone wall, surmounted by a wide artificial stone coping which forms a useful seat for bathers.

Sun bathers are catered for in the way of four large shingle beds, having a combined area of 823 sq. yd., each being surrounded by a low coped wall. These beds, which stand above the level of the lawns, are efficiently under drained to allow of sterilisation and cleaning.

The complete scheme includes a well-appointed cafe to serve both the baths enclosure and the ad joining park, but a marquee is being used this season in order to gain valuable experience before erecting a permanent building.

The purity of the water in the pool, which amounts to 498,000 gal., is maintained by a mechanical filtration plant, so designed that when working at capacity, will turn over the whole contents in six hours. The maximum rate of filtration does not exceed 220 gal. per sq. ft. per hour. The circulating pumps are in duplicate, to enable the plant to remain in operation should one break down. One pump alone will deal with 65 per cent. of the full load.

Sulphate of alumina is the coagulant used in conjunction with soda as an alkaline reagent, and after filtration ammonia and chlorine, ·to form a chloramine, are introduced for purposes of sterilisation, the amount of chlorine added being so small, actually 0.2 part to 0.5 part per million, as to be undetectable by the bather. Water is taken from the pool at the deepest point, and, in addition, a small percentage is drawn from the scum channel at the deep end, which, as already stated, is 1in below top water level in order to remove floating matter. The amount thus extracted from the surface of the pool is controlled by a float valve, to prevent the pumps sucking air should the water level be lowered when the filters are being washed.

After the scheme had been commenced the council resolved to instal a heating plant to maintain the temperature of the water at not less than 70 deg. Fahr. After careful investigation of various types of fuel, solid fuel was adopted as being most suitable for the purpose. The installation comprises a vertical water-tube boiler, rated at 2,900,000 B.th.u. per hour, manufactured by Messrs. Lumbys of Halifax, fed by an “Ironfireman” mechanical stoker, with a fuel capacity of 1,200 lb. supplied by Messrs. Ashwell and Nesbit, of Birmingham.

The water is circulated by an electrically driven centrifugal pump, which is controlled by a thermostat and time switch. The scheme differs from most installations now in use in that either filtered or unfiltered water can be heated; 20 per cent. of the water passing through the filters, is heated and delivered to the base of the cascade, where it joins the main feed to the five inlets at the shallow end of the pool. By this means the heat losses in the cascade, estimated to amount to 2 deg. Fahr., are obviated, and although the heated water is not put over the aerator it is considered that the remaining 80 per cent. will be sufficiently aerated to make up the deficiency. The aerator is of the cascade type built of reconstructed Portland stone and provided with a lagoon 24ft. diameter.

The works have been designed by and carried out under the direction of the borough and water engineer, Mr. G. Gould Marsland, B.Sc., A.M. Inst.C.E., the resident engineer being Mr. C. Steer. Mr. L. M. Perkis, a member of the engineering staff of the council, has been engaged on the work throughout. The approximate cost is £15,700.

The pool was opened on May 25 by the Mayor of Cheltenham {Coun. E. L. Ward, J.P.).

Among the contractors who have been employed on the work are: General contractors, Messrs. A. Jackaman and Son, Mackenzie-street, Slough; filtration and heating contractors, Messrs. Bell

Bros., Denton, Manchester; artificial stone, Messrs. Croft Granite, Brick and Tile Co., Ltd., Croft, near Manchester; baskets for cloak room, Messrs. Heath and Co., Diamond Works, Patricroft, Manchester; diving stages and equipment, Messrs. Spencer Heath and George, Ponders End, Middlesex; reinforced: concrete engineers, Messrs. Johnson’s Reinforced Concrete Engineering Co. , Ltd., Windsor House, Victoria-street, S.W.1; tiles, Messrs. George Legge and Son, Broseley Tile Works, Madeley, Salop; turnstiles, Sir W. H. Bailey and Co., Albion Works, Salford.