UK’s oldest operating lido has 163-year-old pool – and it’s like ‘going back to the 60s
A LIDO in the UK dating back to the 1800s is the longest-running pool of it’s kind.
Pells Pool, in Lewes, holds the record for being the outdoor freshwater pool that has been continuously opened the longest in the country.
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It first opened in 1861 with two pools – one subscription and one that was free to the public.
Now, it is home to the main pool as well as a paddling pool and huge lawn area.
There are changing facilities, as well as showers and toilets onsite.
A kiosk serves snacks and drinks, although you can take your own food (not including BBQs or alcohol).
According to The Lido Guide: “Pells Pool holds a record that it can be confident will never be beaten. It is the oldest continuously operated lido in the UK.
“It’s a handsome pool filled with soft silky water drawn directly from a spring.
“Pells feels like the sort of place where getting changed under a towel while standing on a picnic blanket spread out under the trees i smore in keeping with the traditions of swimmers now long gone”.
They compared the kiosk and reception to the “utilitarian sixties or seventies”.
Along with normal swimming sessions, there are themed events like midnight swims, with a sauna even popping up for this year’s Summer Solstice swim.
Tickets start from £4 for an hour session, up to £5 for a three hour session.
Kids tickets for anyone between 2-15 years are £2, while kids under two are free.
As the pool is unheated, it is only open between May and September.
One previous guest wrote on Google: “One of the most beautiful outdoor pools in the South.”
Another agreed: “This pool is somehow magical.”
A third said: “I’ve found the pool a hidden gem! Yes, it’s pretty cold but so clean and refreshing.”
Outside of the pool is the town of Lewes, known for being home to both Anne of Cleves House and Lewes Castle.
Swimming safety advice
Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer:
How to stay safe at the beach
Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: “If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety.
“If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.”
How to stay safe at the swimming pool
Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: “Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency.
“It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life”.
An Auqabliss spokesperson added: “Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool.
“Children may try to grab these from the pool’s edge and fall in.”
How to stay safe at a waterpark
Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: “Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.
“And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
“Waterparks are often very busy places and it’s easy to lose sight of a child in a split second.”
If you fancy a saltwater dip this summer, you should head to Nantwich to find out what’s brilliant about swimming in brine.
And here’s another UK lido to add to the list this summer, which has even been compared to Australia.