Historic Pools of Britain – HPB News

Saltdean Lido, Brighton

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our summer HPB event at Saltdean Lido.  It was an absolute treat to spend time at the lido, which is more stunning in real life than quite seems possible.  From the beautiful planting scheme outside to the efforts that have gone into the art deco detail inside, it exudes every bit of style that it was conceived to possess.

It’s also a reminder that had the community not responded cohesively to the threat by a former leaseholder to fill in the pool and build 102 apartments on the site, Saltdean Lido could have been lost forever.

A packed day of speeches was led with an introduction from Derek Leaver, Chair of Saltdean Lido CIC that now runs Saltdean Lido.  It’s a fascinating story of incredible dedication.  With the pool reopened in 2017, work started on the building in 2022 and this is when it was revealed just how bad a state it was in.  The pictures that tell this story show the scale of the challenge that was faced.

Wherever possible the original materials were used in the restoration process – often creatively.  For example, the treads on the staircase are made from the original ballroom flooring.  The original balustrades are in place, but only one original crittal window remains, though the replacements blend seamlessly, as do the custom made doors.  And from the lighting to the skirting boards it is the detail that showcases how successful this project has been.  Most recently there was the unveiling of a new neon sign – the original taken down in 1940 because the lido was on the flightpath of the German bombers.  The plastic replacement not fitting for this treasure!

Today, as well as being a destination in its own right, Saltdean Lido is a community hub, with a library, community rooms and gym alongside a poolside café, restaurant and ballroom.  And running parallel to life poolside there is a busy events schedule and programme of venue hire activity.  Innovative design features, such as sliding partitions, ensure flexibility for the spaces.  And in keeping with its community focused ethos, wherever possible local suppliers are used from the wedding flowers to the produce served.  To find out more visit https://www.saltdeanlido.co.uk

Motcombe Pool, Eastbourne

Joining from nearby Eastbourne were the team from Motcombe Pool with Project Historian, Warwick Davies, first sharing a fascinating insight into Motcombe’s early days.  It’s a reminder of why pools were needed, for example, at the start of the 20th century as the decision of whether to build Motcombe Pool was being weighed up, of the 420 boys at the local school (St Mary’s), only five could swim.  The opening of the pool would solve this problem, but with the water changed only twice a week and many people bathing as well as swimming in the pool, sanitation became the next issue.  Fortunately improvements in sanitation followed in the 1930s.

Warwick also shared some of Motcombe’s fascinating social history, which raises the question: are there any other pools that used to run competitions where you had to swim with an open umbrella or a lit candle!

Motcombe was forced to close during Covid and sadly this revealed the need for a larger number of repairs than anticipated.  This is where Motcombe’s CICcomes in and is now, as Chair Helen Nichols explained, focused on securing the future of the pool with a strategy that is centred on the community value of the pool.  This means not only preserving the heritage of the building, but ensuring that it is used to promote health and community.  This work is underway with a grant from the Community Ownership Fund (COF).  To find out more about these plans visit www.motcombepool.org/plan.html

Pells Pool, East Sussex

The spirit of community continued with an introduction to Pells Pool by Sarah Bayliss and Craig Noel from Pells Pool Community Association.  Located in the beautiful town of Lewes in East Sussex it sits on land that was given to the community in 1603 by a local lawyer, John Rowe.  So when there was talk of closing the pool to build a leisure centre there was outrage by swimmers and nearby residents and with further threats along the way this eventually led in 2001 to the community association taking over the running of Pells Pool.

Located along the River Ouse, Pells is the oldest public open-air, freshwater swimming pool in continuous use in the UK since its opening in 1861. Its watery landscape means that the site naturally floods during the winter months and as it looks to the future it is looking at ways to bring improvements to the experience for swimmers and to continue to celebrate its setting within trees and nature.  There is a real community feel, with lots of events and fundraisers organised.  To find out more visit www.pellspool.org.uk

The Strand, Kent

Not unlike Motcombe, the importance of children learning to swim plays a role in the history of The Strand as Harriet Smith, Sports Development Officer for Medway Sport explained.  It was when a child drowned in the pools that form around the natural mudbanks that a local businessman, Thomas Cuckow, saw the opportunity to build a swimming pool, leading to the opening of The Strand on 27 June 1896.

Innovative in every sense, disused railway carriages were used as the changing rooms and the pool would naturally fill with water from the River Medway’s high tide.  With the addition of a miniature railway and putting green The Strand became a destination in its own right, and a place for making happy memories.

And that continues today.  The Stand oozes a holiday feel with the large pool surrounded by a lazy river and other features.  During its 1920s heyday it would welcome up to 12,000 visitors a day.  Nowadays numbers are regulated to ensure a comfortable experience for all, with a morning and afternoon session in place.  It opens during weekends during the early part of the summer season and then daily throughout the school holidays, to find out more visit www.medway.gov.uk/thestrand

Health Hydro, Swindon

The day ended with more pioneering endeavours, those of the founders of the Health Hydro in Swindon, a Grade II* listed building within Swindon’s Railway Conservation Area.  With the restoration of this ground breaking scheme now underway, it was the perfect opportunity to hear from Karen Phimister, Health Hydro Community Engagement Manager for Swindon Borough Council and Jim Roberts of Fourth Street, who is leading on project management.

It was to serve the railway community of GWR – employing around 14,000 people at its peak – that the Hydro was built in 1892, with multiple health and wellbeing services to be housed under one roof. These included pools, washing baths, Turkish baths, doctors and dentist clinics, dispensary, chiropody, psychology and physiotherapy departments and more.  It’s a vision that would bring the creators of the NHS, Bevan and Beveridge, to visit the Hydro in the early 1940s.

Funded by the GWR Medical Fund, into which workers paid a subscription, the creation of what would become known as the Health Hydro was in every way a home grown vision.  In the construction of the buildings everything was produced in the works, including the bricks and steel girders, which would have been made from recycled broad gauge tracks.  It was also innovative in its engineering, for example, the steam from the works was piped in through a tunnel to heat the Hydro and in the winter months, when too cold to heat, it would be boarded over and used for concerts.

In Swindon Council’s regeneration plans the Hydro is central to a narrative that is seeking to position the town as a place of historical interest worth visiting and for it to continue to serve the health and wellbeing needs of its local communities.  Before any restoration work could begin, as Jim explained, it was important to understand the site and know what was workable.  And, as is heard so often with historic pools, it soon became clear that in their vison the Victorians had got it right.

With phase one of the restoration underway the Hydro will open briefly in six months and then close for the next phase and during this time a HPB event will be held at the Hydro so that members can get to see this extraordinary endeavour in person.

And after a packed day of speeches a swim in the glorious setting of Saltdean Lido was the perfect conclusion to the day.  Thank you to all our speakers and those who joined us.