Weston-super-Mare Open Air Pool

Typical late 1930’s seaside lido but with a stunning and unique diving board arrangement. Apparently, this was the highest diving board in the country at the time it was built.

The National Diving Championships were held here in 1949 and there’s a great video linked below. The 3m springboard may have been temporary as I can’t see any photographs of it.

The boards were listed but still demolished only one year later to make way for “Tropicana”, a pretty ghastly affair, apparently involving enormous fruits as a feature with the tag line, “It’s fun and fruity. It’s wet and wild”. I wish I was making this up. I cannot bring myself to post an image of the giant pineapple.

There’s a detailed post-pool history on the Tropicana Wiki page, linked below, detailing a succession of failed attempts and wasted money trying to do something useful with the site.

The only saving grace is that the main buildings and retaining walls are still present and at least externally, as they were.

In 2024 the council won a grant to “level up” and plan to spend £5m to £7m on making the site (currently an ice rink) into a multi use flexible entertainment space. Here at L&PUK Towers, we can hardly wait.

Baths and Bath Engineering, August 1937

A Modern Open-Air Swimming Pool.

WESTON-SUPER-MARE’S £60,000 SCHEME

The new open-air swimming pool at Weston-super-Mare, one of the largest and best equipped in this country, was opened by Sir Edward Campbell, J.P., M.P. Parliamentary Private secretary to the Minister of Health, on 1^st July.

During development of the scheme, the construction of which has involved an expenditure by the urban district council of approximately £60,000, a careful study was made of the trend in swimming pool design.

An area of the foreshore, approximately 325ft by 370ft has been enclosed, the location selected being opposite a read which forms the principal means of communication through the district from east to west and the only approach to the sea front permitted to motor coaches visiting the town.

Adjoining the promenade are the administrative buildings and dressing rooms, constructed of Strenic cast stone. The public entrance is in the centre, the turnstiles leading into a large, covered area, adjoining which are administrative offices and a shop where the various articles required by bathers and others are available.

Swimming Pool, etc.

The pool is 200 ft. long by 140 ft. wide and the depth of water varies from nil to 15 ft. under the reinforced concrete diving stage which is situated on the west side of the pool. Approximately two-thirds of the water area is 4 ft. 3 in. in depth and under, and the change of depth from point to point is very gradual. For the more serious swimmer a course of water not less than 3 ft. deep at any point is available. This is a fraction of a mile in length for convenience in racing and is of sufficient width to allow of 15 persons to race at one time. A full-size water polo area has been laid out with a minimum depth of water of 6 ft.

An artificial beach has been provided for children along the whole of one side of the pool with a gradual slope down into the shallow water.

The diving stage, which is believed to be unique, has been specially designed for this scheme. It has been constructed to meet every requirement, local, national, and international. Springboards (1 m., 3 m., and bath level), a large water chute and a smaller children’s chute have been provided. The chutes have special “Noncormet” mirror polished surfaces and the steelwork throughout has a “Metacote” anti-corrosive finish. There are also specially designed water polo goals of the floating type. The above equipment has been supplied by H Hunt and Son, Liverpool.

The tubular handrails of the “Noncormet” non-corrosive bath ladders (these are fixed at convenient intervals around the pool) have a mirror polished finish, being the actual metal itself and not plated coat. These ladders, supplied by H. Hunt and Son, Liverpool, have been fully tested in salt and chlorinated water. Bathers cannot enter or leave the swimming pool without passing through a shallow bath of water.

The internal lining of the pool is in pale blue glazed stoneware and the floor is finished in white. The surrounds are constructed of artificial stone slabs of various colours. In front of the administrative block there are lawns and flower beds and a considerable area for sun-bathing.

Pumping and Purification Plant

The pumping equipment and purification plant, which have been supplied by the Pulsometer Engineering Co. Ltd., of Reading. present a number of interesting features.

The pool holds 885,000 gal. of water, and the circulation period is limited to 6- and one-half hours. Three horizontal fillers running at a speed of 250 gal. per sq. It. per hour have been installed, and provision has been made for the addition of a fourth filter and further pumping equipment at a later date. Owing to the low headroom available in the filter room, advantage was taken of an elliptical design of filters which gave an economy of 2ft. over-all height.

The pumping equipment at present consists of two circulating units. Each pump carries a separate booster pump for operating the air services, the main pumps being so connected that they can draw from the sea and discharge the raw water into the settling tank, draw from the settling tank for make-up purposes, circulate the water in the pool and eject the whole contents back to the sea at the end of the season.

The air service, previously mentioned, includes provision of compressed air to the aerator and air exhausting apparatus for priming the suction pipe from the sea. The latter operation includes not only the evacuation of the suction pipe in the first instance, but also the removal of any air that may separate out from the water while pumping.

All air pumping operations are carried out by a new process which is hydraulic in operation. The process is a development of the “Hydrair” compressor that Messrs. Pulsometer have been employing for some years in connection with their filtration plants. A small booster pump carried at the tail end of each circulating pump tor the compressed air service lo the aerator discharges through a “Hydralette”’ into the aerator, inject the necessary quantity of air required to aerate the water. When priming the suction pipe from the sea, a stream from the booster pump is diverted and passed to a “Hydralette” air pump, which in turn is coupled to a weir chamber in the main suction pipe. The suction pipe from the weir chambers up to the pumps normally stands full oi water. and the main pump is then run with its discharge valve closed until the suction pipe has been exhausted. The discharge valve on the main pump is then opened and the pump put on load. The air pump is kept running continuously as long as the circulating pump is drawing from the sea and will thus remove at the weir chamber any air in suspension in the supply that is drawn up from the sea and ensure that the main pump runs full the whole time and does not become air locked. The long length of suction pipe, it has been found, can be primed in about ten minutes at low tide, and the pump runs steadily while feeding into the settling tank.

For removing the stain set up in the water by certain dyes from bathers’ costumes and other finely divided matter, two coagulation reagents are administered by a parallel feed device. No pumping is necessary for feeding in these reagents, advantage being taken of a differential pressure set up by a venturi tube in the filtered water main, a pedestal-mounted flow meter showing the rate of injection of each reagent.

Sterilisation is by chloramine treatment; the ammonia being injected in the anhydrous state into the filtered water main by means of a Wallace and Tiernan ammoninator. The chlorine gas, however, is first dissolved in a minor stream of water, and then the chlorine solution is injected in the main stream by a Wallace and Tiernan instrument.

A dial-type flow meter gives the rate of circulation through the plant, and a water level gauge shows the level of the water in the pool and settling tank, respectively.

A suction sweeper is provided for sweeping the pool bottom. It operates from a ring main round the pool and terminating in a series of points from which the suction sweeper can be operated through a length of flexible hose. The suction sweeper is then towed to and fro across the bottom by ropes. The sweeper itself operates on the vacuum principle, very similar to an ordinary vacuum cleaner. It is fitted with floating brushes for removing the suspended matter from the pool bottom and carrying it away to the plant.

Schedule of Sizes and Capacities of Plant.

Two centrifugal circulating pumps, each delivering 1,135 gal. per min. against a total head of 27 ft. when run at 1,450 revs. per min. and absorbing 12 and one quarter b.h.p. on sea water. Two slip ring motors of 15 b.h.p. at 1,450 revs. per min. The current is 400 volts, 3 phase, 50 cycles. One “Hydrair” motorless air compressor. Three 9 ft. by 6 ft. 6 in. by 22 ft. 9 in. duplex elliptical filters. One twin chemical flow meter. One forced draught type aerator. Two “Hydralettes” air compressors. A complete plant for the sterilisation of the whole of the filtered water by the chloramine process. One manual control solution feed chlorinator, and also one direct feed ammoniator operating on anhydrous ammonia. A cascade pump delivering 120 gal. per min. against a 23 ft. head at 1,440 revs. per min. for the flow of water for the cascade. This is actuated by a 3 and a half h.p. motor.

Dressing Accommodation.

The dressing rooms are arranged in the single storey wings north and south of the entrance, and special attention has been given to the planning oi this part of the scheme so as to ensure maximum convenience for the public both before and after bathing. The cubicles are somewhat larger than is usual and of modern design. The average number of cubicles necessary is in the proportion of five bathers to each cubicle. The total number of bathers which are provided for is 1,440 at one time, and additional room is available for a considerable extension of this number. The well-known “Hyg-Gard-All” clothes hanger system has been adopted.

General

A good equipment of pre-cleansing apparatus has been installed, There are five patent automatic foot-sprays and two sets of double shoulder spray fittings for ladies, and five foot-sprays and two over-head showers, fitted with “Economic” patent sprayers and self-closing valves operated by chain pull, for men.

The double shoulder-sprays are fitted in cubicles with a spray at each side of the cubicle, and a self-closing valve to operate them. On pulling the chain the spray is thrown out at an angle from either side of the cubicle to strike the bather’s shoulders and miss the head. “Economic” patent sprayers aro also fitted to these.

The whole of the pre-cleansing apparatus, supplied by Charles Winn and Co., Ltd., Birmingham, is chromium plated.

On the upper storey of the centre block of the administrative buildings a large cafe has been provided, having the usual kitchen accommodation, etc. The colour scheme generally is pale blue and black. The floor is of polished oak and can be used for dancing. Electrical radiators have been fitted in case the cafe may be required during the winter months.

A small cafe is situated immediately behind the diving stage.

The fittings throughout the main lock are principally of bronze, except in the dressing rooms, where a new anodized alloy has been adopted.

A system of electrical clocks and a telephone service has been provided, and there is also an amplifying apparatus for the relay of music at any convenient time and for announcements.

On each side of the central building there is a roof garden capable of accommodating a great number of spectators. On the north and south sides of the pool site there are shelters for the public, and ample parking accommodation for patrons has been provided on the shore adjoining.

The presence of large quantities of underground water and running sand, etc., necessitated practically the whole of the site being sheet steel piled.

Throughout the building hygienic materials have been chosen and every detail has been designed to ensure scrupulous cleanliness and freedom from germ-harbouring corners.

The scheme has been designed and the construction supervised by the council’s engineer and surveyor, Mr. H. A. Brown, and Messrs. Coignet, of London, have been responsible for the reinforced concrete and steelwork. The main contractors were Messrs. Bolton and Lakin. Ltd., of Birmingham, and the diving stage was constructed by Messrs. George Pollard and Co. Ltd., of Taunton. Among other sub-contractors for the scheme were:

• Shaws Glazed Brick Co., Ltd., Darwen, Lanes-faience for pool lining, scum channel and cascade.
• Sika Francois, Ltd., London – concrete waterproofing.
• The Strenic Construction Co., Ltd., Corsham, Wilts – cast stone for administrative buildings.
• Nobel Chemical Finishes, Ltd. London – Dulux decorative finishes.
• Hughes and Lancaster, Ltd., London – “Shone” pneumatic automatic ejectors for lifting sewage:
• La Brea Asphalte Co., Ltd., Birmingham – asphalt work to roofs, etc.
• The Crittall Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Bristol – windows:
• James Sieber, London – clothes hanger system.

Mr. G. C. Wainwright, M.N.A B.S., is the manager of the pool.

Times 13^th February 1982

Divers lose a touch of style

From our correspondent, Weston-Super-Mare

Demolition of the listed diving stage at Weston-Super-Mare’s open air swimming pool has started. What was once considered to be one of the most stylish diving platforms in Britain is to make way for an improvement scheme.

The new look will cost more than £800,000 and means changing the pool into an outdoor leisure centre. A feature will be a small, heated pool with a wave machine and a children’s paddling pool. There will be a sunbathing area, a children’s play area and possibly a roller-skating rink.

The diving stage was listed last year by the department of the Environment as being of outstanding Interest and design. Woodspring District Council, which owns the pool, had to apply for permission to demolish it.

The pool, which opened in 1937, is to stay closed all this summer for work to continue on the improvement scheme. It is hoped to open again early in the 1983 season.