THE UK's oldest lido may not welcome Brits this summer - despite only just reopening following a 40-year closure. When the summer arrives and sunny days return, people up and down the country will be heading to their local lido to cool down. One place where that might not be possible this summer is Cleveland Pools in Bath, Somerset .
The lido, which first opened in 1817, closed its doors in 1984 when public funds were redirected to a nearby sports centre. Following a 39-year closure, and a 20-year campaign led by the Cleveland Pools Trust, Cleveland Pools officially reopened to the public on September 10, 2023. Cleveland Pools remained open to keen swimmers throughout the winter - even when pool temperatures dropped below 10C.
But according to the Cleveland Pools Facebook page , the lido has been closed since January because of damage caused by flooding. At the time, the Chair of the Cleveland Pools Trust, Paul Simmons said the following: "The flooding has found its way into the plant room leaving the pools currently inoperable. "The flooding issue was fully investigated and taken into consideration when designing the scheme prior to the commencement of works on site.
"After the enormous efforts of so many to achieve the re-opening of the pools, the trust regrets this disruption to those wishing to use and enjoy the facilities." Earlier today, Paul Simmons told the BBC that "vital equipment, including the electrical installations" was damaged by the floodwater. Before any rep.
