Sandford Lido

CHELTENHAM LIDO

Built in 1935, Sandford Park Lido retains all its original features, such as the cascade fountain and the slides. From May to October it is open every day with some early-morning sessions. The lido consists of a magnificent 50m heated outdoor pool, children's pool with a slide, playground and poolside cafe - all set in 4 acres of picturesque settings with landscaped gardens of Sandford Park.

The main pool is 50.25m x 27.35m (165 x 90ft), varying from 0.9m in depth in the shallow end to 2m in the deep end of the pool, however, where the diving boards used to be the depth is 2.75m. The main pool features two slides, one of them the original slide, which dates back to the opening of the lido in 1935. Included on the site is free children's play equipment, free table tennis and free basketball (bats and balls can be hired from the reception).

Sandford Park Lido is the venue for Cheltenham Triathlon's 500m swim, as well as the popular Christmas Day Swim, event that isn't for the faint hearted as ever increasing amount of volunteers attempt to swim a width or even a length of the main pool.

Finished Lido in 1935

HISTORY

The Lido was designed by Gilbert Gould Marsland, Cheltenham borough surveyor in the years 1933-60, who also drew the plans for Whaddon and Hester's Way estates. The project was completed in early 1935 at a cost of £15,700. The opening ceremony was scheduled for the 25th May 1935, special trains and buses were bringing people from all over the county to enjoy the warm water in this, at the time ultra modern, swimming facility. The admission to the Lido was 6d.

The café was built using some of the £1,000 profit from the first Lido season. In 1938, an additional section of land was taken from Sandford Park to create the Children’s Pool. The lido stayed open during the war years, and despite the war on average 90,000 visitors used the lido during the season.

REFURBISHMENT PROJECT

After the opening of the indoor swimming facilities in Cheltenham the future of the Lido came into question, especially in the 1980s as the attendances levels dropped. Public petition saved the lido and in 1989 the lido underwent repairs, however, these repairs only prolonged the life of the pool by a few years.

Fortunately, following successful fundraising over the past ten years, Sandford Park Lido secured full funding to complete a thorough refurbishment of the main swimming pool and introduce new activities and educational programmes. A new reinforcement grid in the floor was created to stabilise the structure of the main swimming pool. The refurbishment project was finished in July 2007.

OPENING HOURS