Droitwich Spa Lido
Encyclopedia
The Droitwich Spa Lido is a lido in Droitwich Spa
, Worcestershire, England. It is one of the few remaining inland, open-air salt-water swimming pool
s in the UK.
, pumped from brine streams beneath the town. The salt
in the water was strong enough to keep the water in the pool aseptic
, 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 pool was heated to exactly the same temperature as the Mediterranean Sea
.
During the Second World War
, the lido was closed, and its offices used by the military.
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. 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 who voted were 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. One of the schools in Droitwich, Westacre Middle School, was the first to be able to go into the pool. Although the diving area has been filled-in to lower the water heating costs, the original 1930s fascia was left intact and the water still uses the salt that is the reason for the existence of Droitwich Spa itself.
Droitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe.The town is situated on massive deposits of salt, and salt has been extracted there since ancient times. The natural Droitwich brine contains 2½ lbs...
, Worcestershire, England. It is one of the few remaining inland, open-air salt-water swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s in the UK.
Brief history
The Lido was originally built in the 1930s and the building features an art-deco style interior. The pool itself was filled with diluted brineBrine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
, pumped from brine streams beneath the town. The salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
in the water was strong enough to keep the water in the pool aseptic
Asepsis
Asepsis is the state of being free from disease-causing contaminants or, preventing contact with microorganisms. The term asepsis often refers to those practices used to promote or induce asepsis in an operative field in surgery or medicine to prevent infection...
, without the need for additional chemicals such as chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
.
When the lido opened, it was marketed as the 'seaside
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
come to Droitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa
Droitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe.The town is situated on massive deposits of salt, and salt has been extracted there since ancient times. The natural Droitwich brine contains 2½ lbs...
', and the pool was heated to exactly the same temperature as the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the lido was closed, and its offices used by the military.
Resurrection
The lido continued to be a popular tourist attraction. Even after its closure at the end of the 1990s, people still traveled for miles just to see the once-popular pool.In late 2004, Wychavon
Wychavon
Wychavon is a local government district in Worcestershire, England. Its council is based in Pershore. Other towns in the district include Droitwich Spa, Evesham and Broadway. The district extends from the south-east corner of Worcestershire north and west...
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. 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
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
in which 98% of the people who voted were 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. One of the schools in Droitwich, Westacre Middle School, was the first to be able to go into the pool. Although the diving area has been filled-in to lower the water heating costs, the original 1930s fascia was left intact and the water still uses the salt that is the reason for the existence of Droitwich Spa itself.