Droitwich Spa Lido
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Droitwich Spa Lido is a lido in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire. It is one of the few remaining inland, open-air salt-water swimming pool's in the UK .
Contents |
[edit] Brief History
The Lido was originally built in the 1930s and the building features an art-deco style interior with plenty of design styles particular to that era.
The pool itself was filled with diluted brine, pumped from brine streams beneath the town. The salt in the water was strong enough to keep the water in the pool clean, without the need for additional chemicals such as chlorine.
When the lido opened, it was marketed as the 'seaside come to Droitwich Spa', and the unusually large pool was heated to exactly the same temperature as the Mediterranean Sea. Swimmers could dive in and imagine that they really were in the Mediterranean!
The popularity of the lido continued through up until the second world war, when it was closed, and the offices used by the military. After the war, however, the lido was reopened and the people of Droitwich and from around the country could once more enjoy bathing in the pool.
[edit] Resurrecting the Lido
The lido continued to be a popular tourist attraction, and really has never ceased to be this, despite its closure at the end of the 1990s. People will still travel for miles just to see the once-so-popular pool.
In late 2004, Wychavon District Council voted against the re-opening of the lido, which sparked a local campaign group to form, with the sole aim of seeing the lido restored to its former glory. Called "Save a Lido Today" (SALT), the group put pressure on the various councils and even went so far as to provide a business plan.
In April 2005, the people of Droitwich Spa held a parish poll in which 98% of the people that voted voted in favour of restoring the Lido. Following this, SALT continued to work with the District and Town councils to restore the Lido to a working condition.
In the summer of 2007, the Lido reopened. Although the diving area has been filled-in to lower the water heating costs, the original 1930's fascia was left intact (thereby retaining the Lido's character) and the water still contains the salt that is the reason for the existence of Droitwich Spa itself.
