A UK lido that dates back more than 100 years has been compared to the Mediterranean. Across the UK are a hundreds of outdoor swimming pools, ranging from small tidal pools to much larger swimming complexes. Win one of 8 incredible holidays to Florida, Spain, the Caribbean and a Kent safari by voting in The Sun's Travel Awards - enter to win here And one of the older ones is found in Kent, with The Strand Lido in Gillingham.
It opened on June 27, 1896, with much of it remaining unchanged, although with modernisation. It is the only riverside salt-water pool in the UK, with the water chlorinated (although not heated), which has seen it added to the Historic Pools of Britain list. But with slides and attractions inside, experts have said it is "more like Greece than Kent".
According to the book The Lido Guide : "Nothing about the exterior gives away what lies within. "What lies within is a riot or Mediterranean-resort-style colour and fun. "Any children in the party will be completely unable to contain their excitement.
"The whole thing is a freeform riot of bright white painted concrete, edged in royal blue, that gives the treated river water that fills the pool a hue that is more reminiscent of Greece than Kent." Along with the pool, there is also a 300m lazy river, as well as elephant slides and water jets. The book added: "It takes a special sort of curmudgeon not to grin like a loon while hurtling down a pink elephants trunk into brilliant clear water.
The pool itself has .