Cleveland Pool: UK's oldest lido to open for the first time in 40 years

  • Watch Caron Bell's report

The oldest lido in Britain will reopen to the public this weekend for the first time in 40 years.

Cleveland Pools, in Bath, closed in 1984 after struggling to compete with a new indoor pool in the city.

It fell into disrepair but will reopen this weekend following an 18-year community campaign to restore it by the Cleveland Pools Trust.

The lido has now been painstakingly restored at a cost of £9million, with work taking around 15 months to complete.

The 207-year-old site will welcome its first swimmers back tomorrow (Saturday 24 September).

They will be able to enjoy the heated pool, flanked by Georgian changing rooms, as well as a modern children's splash pool. The lido has also been made wheelchair accessible.

The lido has been restored to its former glory after a painstaking 15-month renovation project

Anna Baker, the project director of The Cleveland Pools Trust, said the site means so much to so many people in Bath.

She told ITV News West Country: "I meet so many people and when I tell them this is my job, they go 'oh I used to swim there' or 'my kids learnt to swim there'.

"It has such importance within the city and wider area. And I think it's important that in the future we're opening it back up again so that people can make new memories, and for the next generation."

The project cost £9.3million in total - £6.47million of which came from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Due to the location of the pool and its Grade-II listed status, supplies had to be transported via the river.

It was something that Beard Construction project Manger Mark Tregelles had never had to do before.

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"Not only have we had to navigate around existing pools and on quite a sloppy terrain, but we've also had to bring all of our materials and plant via the river," he said. "So it's not something you do every day."

What is the history of Cleveland Pools?

Cleveland Pools opened in 1815 and became a popular place for swimming and relaxing during the 19th and 20th centuries.

They closed in 1984 as they were unable to compete with the new indoor pool.

After a brief period as a trout farm, they fell into disrepair. It has taken nearly 20 years and £8million to bring them back to life.