Outdoor swimming pools, or lidos, are enjoying a revival across Britain, with numerous historic sites restored to offer a classic summer experience. The concept, inspired by German 'volksparks' and popularized in Britain during the 1930s, saw over 300 outdoor pools across the country at its peak. However, a decline in municipal funding and changing leisure habits led to a significant reduction in their numbers after World War II, with fewer than two dozen surviving by the early 21st century.
Many of these once-derelict sites are now being revitalized. In Penzance, Cornwall, the Jubilee Pool, a triangular seawater lido, features a second, geothermally heated pool, a first for the UK. The pool reopened in 2016 after a two-year closure. Tinside Lido in Plymouth offers a vast, semi-circular saltwater pool with views over Plymouth Sound. Bristol Lido, which reopened in 2008 after closing in 1990, is known for its Georgian setting and on-site restaurant.
Peterborough Lido, dating from 1936, is an Olympic-sized pool with sunbathing terraces and lawns, occasionally hosting 'dog swim' days. In Wales, Lido Ponty in Pontypridd, originally opened in 1927, is described as 'The National Lido Of Wales' and features distinctive changing rooms.
Ilkley Lido in West Yorkshire provides views of Ilkley Moor and includes a pool complex with tennis courts and a putting green, though it is unheated. Sandford Parks Lido in Cheltenham, built in 1935, was used by the Malawi Olympic team for training in 2012 and offers slides and a children's pool.
Scotland's most northerly lido, Stonehaven Open Air Pool near Aberdeen, is heated to 29C and claims to be the UK's only art deco Olympic-sized saltwater lido. The Droitwich Spa Lido in Worcestershire is one of the few inland saltwater lidos and features water cannons and fountains.
Saltdean Lido, Britain's only Grade II-listed coastal lido, was extensively restored and reopened in 2023, featuring its original 1930s architecture. Tooting Bec Lido in London is the UK's largest, measuring 91.4 metres long and 30.2 metres wide, with colorful art deco changing cubicles.