Cleveland Pools in Bath to reopen for public swimming next month
The Cleveland Pools in Bath will reopen to swimmers next months after being derelict for 40 years.
The £6 million redevelopment project is nearly complete at the site - which is the oldest lido in the UK.
Cleveland Pools will reopen on Sunday 10 September, with tickets available to book online from 10am.
It was built in 1815 but fell into disrepair in the 1980s. It has since bene restored by passionate local residents, who created the Cleveland Pools Trust.
Paul Simons, chair of the Cleveland Pools Trust, said: "This has been a marathon swim, often against the tide, but the sheer determination of the local community, an army of volunteers, the Heritage Fund, National Lottery players and our dedicated small number of staff, has seen the project through.
"The celebration last year marked the completion of the restoration works and now we can enter the operational phase in partnership with Fusion.
"The pontoon will shortly be delivered to site via the river, and the commissioning of the water source heat pump, funded by Salix Finance and assisted by WECA, will be complete."
Construction work on the pools was finished around a year ago, and some closed events have taken place since.
Those who donated to the restoration campaign were the first to swim in the new pool, on 17 September 2022.
Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "It’s fantastic that people can dive into Cleveland Pools this September for the first public swimming, which fittingly is taking place to celebrate Heritage Open Days.
"Volunteers from Bath’s community have tirelessly and passionately worked to return this beautiful and historic Georgian baths to its original glory and use.
"It’s a credit to them that we can all enjoy swimming here again over 200 years later and, with money raised by National Lottery players, we can ensure that heritage is valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future."
Councillor Kevin Guy, leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: "Cleveland Pools is a huge asset for the city, and I am very pleased to see an opening date which means people can look forward to swimming in the Pools once again."Getting to this final stage is the culmination of many years of hard work by everyone involved thanks to the commitment of so many volunteers."
The water is not currently heated and is roughly 20 degrees, the Trust says. Tickets for the opening day are free, although they will need to be booked.