LIDOS LIDO LIFE
Jonathan Knot highlights Lymington Sea Water Baths' fi ght for survival…
Lymington Sea Water Baths, one of the most historic lidos in Britain
Can you name the oldest lido in Britain? Built in 1833, Lymington Sea Water Baths sits across the Solent from the
Isle of Wight, and it is – at 90-x-30 metres – also one of the largest in the country. Its reputation should go before it, but sadly, this is not the case. “Some people have been living in this town for years and don't even
know the pool is here,” says Colm McCarthy, who manages the lido. He believes such lack of awareness has contributed to the diffi culties the lido has experienced in recent years. Having closed in 2008, the pool reopened again in 2010, but its future is now in doubt once more. A sub-commit ee on Lymington and Pennington Council has responsibility for the pool, but no one outside it knows exactly what its plans are. Some ideas for it are said to be ‘radical’, with some suggesting that the lido could become an indoor leisure centre, like nearby Romsey Rapids. Such plans are unlikely to please many lido enthusiasts, but in a time of austerity, most would concede that we do need to consider costs carefully, and in past years the lido has lost the council at least £40,000 a year.
SOME WHO'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN FOR YEARS DON'T EVEN KNOW THE POOL IS HERE
LYMINGTON HEALTH KICK The health benefi ts of sea bathing have long been celebrated, and sea baths are known to have existed at Lymington since 1755. In 1833, the Lymington Bath and Improvement Company set up the current baths, which remained open constantly, including throughout two world wars, until 2008. The Bath House next to the pool, now used as a headquarters by the local sailing club, is a listed building, but the pool itself is not listed. In 1933, Dagenham’s Medical Offi cer for Health, who had
travelled widely to European spas, described the Lymington Baths as the "fi nest sea water baths seen anywhere".
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Photo © Paul Appleyard
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