Brockwell Lido

Brockwell Lido
Coordinates: 51°27′11″N 0°06′23″W / 51.453056°N 0.106389°W / 51.453056; -0.106389
Address Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, Lambeth
Postcode SE24 0PA
Opened 1937
Operator Fusion Lifestyle Ltd
Architect Rowbotham & Smithson
Type open air
Status Grade II Listed
Length 160 feet (49 m)
Website www.brockwell-lido.com
Facilities
Gym, hydrotherapy pool, cafe

Brockwell Lido is a large lido in Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, London. It opened in July 1937, closed in 1990 and after a local campaign was re-opened in 1994. Two ex council employees Paddy and Casey took on the running of the Lido for the community. Lambeth council gave Paddy & Casey (ex council workers) a peppercorn lease rate from 1994-2001. Lambeth gave them a one-year extension in 2002 whilst a public consultation was held to decide on the longer term sustainable future of the Lido.

History

Brockwell Lido was designed by HA Rowbotham and TL Smithson of the London County Council's Parks Department to replace Brockwell Park bathing pond and is almost identical in design to the Victoria Park Lido. It opened in July 1937.

The lido closed in 1990 due to cost-saving measures by Lambeth Borough Council. A Brockwell Lido Users (BLU) group was established to lobby for re-opening.[1] The lido management was put out for tender and two former council employees won the contract and reopened the lido in 1994.[2]

Lucy Blakstad's "The Lido" was filmed at Brockwell Lido in 1995.[3]

In 2003 it was classed as a Grade II listed building.[4]

Description

Brockwell Lido in 1938

In 2001, the Evian logo was painted on the pool floor in a sponsorship deal worth £110,000. In 2005, £500,000 was awarded from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the £2.5 million redevelopment.[2] 2001 was also the year BLU were officially formed as a pressure group to save the Lido. With the backing of over 1000 local Lido lovers and swimmers, they demonstrated to Lambeth council the passion that the 'local' people and community had for their Lido. Lambeth brought in Consultants and public meetings were held to establish the best solution to save and preserve the Lido for future generations. A Brockwell Lido Steering Group was created with three of the six stakeholders coming from BLU.

In 2003 Fusion Lifestyle won the competitive tender from Lambeth Council to refurbish Brockwell Lido and create an all year round leisure complex at the site. A newly built gym, spa and fitness studios were constructed over four years and the newly expanded Brockwell Lido site was reopened in October 2007.

In 2012 the 'Brockwell Icicles' winter swimming group reformed and campaigned for all year round swimming... the current operator Fusion agreed. BLU with the help of BLSC, finally obtained 7 day swimming for the Lido in 2014. Brockwell Lido is now open 7 days a week all year for those who enjoy cold water swimmers. (Membership is not required a new cold water swimmers can turn up and pay on the day)

In April 2016, a Poolside Sauna was installed at the Lido, further enhancing Brockwell Lidos attraction for swimmers and lido lovers alike.

The Lido Café is an attached café/restaurant looking onto the pool.[5]

See also

Bibliography

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Brockwell Lido Users Group (BLU) Archived December 18, 2003, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. 1 2 Smith, Janet (2006), Liquid assets: the lidos and open air swimming pools of Britain, English Heritage, p. 138, ISBN 978-0-9547445-0-2
  3. ↑ Modern Times: The Lido at the Internet Movie Database
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1390519)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  5. ↑ "The Lido Café". Time Out. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
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