Sudbury’s new outdoor pool opened on 3rd June 1939 by Lord Cranbrook and was to replace the Old Bathing Place on the river that had to be closed following an outbreak of diphtheria. The pool was built on the western edge of Belle Vue Park.
There very nearly wasn’t a pool at all. Despite clamour for a safe, modern swimming area to replace the Old Bathing Place, many were against the idea and the cost. In the end, after a fierce debate, the Borough Council agreed to go ahead by just one vote.
A building 27’ x 18’ sat at the southern end of the site and housed the filtration plant.
In the early days the pool was run by a staff of one ex Metropolitan Police Constable Fisher. He was renowned for ruling his watery ‘beat’ with a rod of iron in full uniform! High spirits in danger of getting out of hand were soon stopped with a blast on his whistle.
All the builders were invited to the opening, when Mr McQuhae, boss of the building firm Grimwood’s, was the first man to dive off the diving board.
The pool had five diving boards and platforms. The top board was closed on legal advice after a man dived from it and hit his head on the bottom of the pool. The boards had been erected before present guidelines which later ruled the pool not deep enough.
New plant was installed in 1951 costing £400
In 1971, the adjacent police station was demolished to make way for roundabout works, and the dressing accommodation was increased to provide additional female facilities on the land.
During the hot summer of 1976, 3,000 people used the pool in one day.
Sudbury built a new leisure centre, the Kingfisher and this provided an indoor pool, so the outdoor one was closed in 1986 and filled in with concrete. The site has been used as a skate park, but a purpose-built facility was provided in 2019.
Some of the original buildings remain and the site is fenced off.
| Name | Sudbury Swimming Pool Belle Vue Park, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2RL, England |
| Coordinates | 52°02’17.8″N 0°44’02.1″E |
| Opened | 3rd June 1939 |
| Cost | £3,504 |
| Dimensions | 100′ x 40′ |
| Capacity (UK gallons) | 150,000 |
| Water type | Freshwater |
| Depth(s) | 3′ to 9′ 6″ |
| Diving | 3m and 5m fixed boards, springboards |
| Changing facilities | The buildings surrounding the pool provided clothes basket stores, 12 dressing cubicles for men and 11 for women plus large dressing rooms for children |
| Second pool | Paddling pool along wertern edge of main pool |
| Spectator seating | |
| Designers and contractors | The scheme was designed by Mr. H, Hooper, A.R.I.B.A., of Ipswich. The contractors were Messrs. George Grimwood and Sons, Sudbury, |
| Date closed | 1986 |
| Status | Filled in |
| On site now | Some buildings remain, site fenced off |
| Last updated | 2nd June 2026 |
