We are drawing to the close of a whirlwind of a year and wanted to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and wonderful 2025.
It’s been a year with lots of key developments to celebrate for a number of historic pools, made possible through years of hard work, campaigning and planning. Funding pots have been secured and projects that have been in the long term planning have come online.
Everyone has marvelled at the incredible work that has taken place at The City Baths Newcastle and Saltdean Lido in Brighton, whilst remembering the amazing efforts and passion of the local communities who helped to save them and secure their futures, and the partner organisations that have made the work possible. Grange Lido in Cumbria ends the year with Phase One of its development work coming to a conclusion and with plans being drawn up for the site to be open to the public for events, tours, etc in the coming months – the first time that it will have been opened to the public since its 1993 closure. Meanwhile work is underway at Moseley Road Baths in Birmingham, which marks the beginning of a major project that includes making the building secure and more accessible. And the much anticipated restoration of Broomhill Pool in Ipswich is poised to commence, the campaign for which has been led by Broomhill Pool Trust since 2003. These are all hard fought successes that are hugely inspiring to others around the country.
Birthdays are always times for extra jubilation and 2024 saw Bramley Baths mark its 120th with a civic celebration and circus themed party. For Leeds’ only surviving Edwardian pool to have served its community since 1904 is an almighty feat. Stonehaven Open Air Pool in Aberdeenshire might not be in triple figures yet, but did celebrate its 90th birthday with a special visit from The Princess Royal, Anne. And 2025 promises some more big moments including 150 years since the founding of Arlington Baths Club in Glasgow and the 120th birthday of Motcombe Pool in Eastbourne. Joining the birthday list are Droitwich Spa Lido and Lincolnshire’s Jubilee Park – both of which will be 90.
In June we were hosted by Stonehaven Open Air Pool and Bon Accord Baths in Aberdeen and in September got to discover the story behind the restoration of Withington Baths in Manchester. The year ahead sees us hosted by Saltdean Lido (24 June) and The City Baths Newcastle (30 September) so please add those dates to your 2025 calendar.
Throughout the year our hearts have all been with Cleveland Pools in Bath, who have been working through the challenges resulting from a series of floods and we end 2024 thinking of Lido Ponty, and the distruption caused by the recent floods in South Wales. Thanks to incredible efforts by the team, the legendary Boxing Day and New Year’s Day swims will go ahead.
As a community it has also been wonderful to see our strength grow with more pool and individual members becoming a part of Historic Pools of Britain. It’s been fantastic to welcome Arlington Baths Club in Glasgow, Bon Accord Baths in Aberdeen, Fore Street Pool in Ipswich, Pells Pool in East Sussex and The Strand Lido in Kent.
We finish with a snapshot of our Images of the Month and welcome suggestions throughout 2025. Please also continue to share news (birthdays, work taking place, appointments, events), updates and images.
- Original Article: Historic Pools of Britain
- Date: December 2024