Grange Lido
Outdoor swimming pool in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grange Lido is an open-air 50-metre sea-water swimming pool, or lido, in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, England. It opened in 1932 and closed in 1993, but campaigners are working to see it re-opened as a swimming pool.[1] Refurbishment works to create a public space have been ongoing since 2023. The lido is in Art Deco style, and is Grade II listed.[2]
| Grange Lido | |
|---|---|
Grange Lido in 2016 | |
 Interactive map of the Grange Lido area | |
General information | |
Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, England |
| Coordinates | 54.187489°N 2.912146°W |
| Opened | 1932 |
| Renovated | 2023–present |
| Closed | 1993 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Bernard Smith or Thomas Huddlestone |
| Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Grange Over Sands Lido |
| Designated | 26 August 2011 |
| Reference no. | 1402086 |
History and architecture
The lido opened in 1932. The buildings were designed by Grange-over-Sands Urban District Council's surveyor, named Bernard Smith[2] or Thomas Huddlestone.[3] The lido sits on Grange promenade on the shore of Morecambe Bay, although as of 2019[update] the changing course of the River Kent means that the sea is at some distance from the promenade, separated by salt marsh. The 165 ft × 112 ft (50 m × 34 m)[3] pool was filled with filtered sea-water at high tide, and was unheated.[2]
The buildings are in Art Deco style. Historic Pools of Britain describes the lido as "A very fine intact Art Deco mushroom shaped lido in a stunning setting on the edge of Morecambe Bay".[1]
English Heritage state the reasons for the lido's Grade II listing in 2011 as:
- Completeness: as a complete example of a 1930s lido with the survival of all key ancillary buildings and structures
- Pool: for the unusually shaped pool, designed for multiple uses and which retains its original stepped diving stage
- Historic: as an evocative reminder of the former popularity of sea-side towns such as Grange over Sands and the inter-war cult of fresh air, fitness and mass leisure[2]
Pevsner's The Buildings of England (revised ed. 2010), within its description of Grange promenade, simply says "Lido, 1933, closed 1992, and now very forlorn".[4]
The lido suffered damage from floods in 1977, when the outer wall was breached, but celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1982 with a special gala.[5]
Closure and future
The lido closed in 1993,[2] after a report suggested that necessary repairs would be too expensive to be justified.[5]
In 2011 the Save Grange Lido campaign was established, aiming to "transform it into a vibrant community owned leisure facility with a restored 50m pool at its heart."[6][7] The group has produced a detailed business plan setting out how it believes this could be achieved.[8] It is a community benefit society.[6]
In 2015 South Lakeland District Council began to consider future uses for the site which would not include a swimming facility: the pool area was to become a "landscaped open space".[9] In February 2019, the council allocated £2 million for "light touch refurbishment" of the lido, to include making it structurally sound, bringing it back into public use, and providing refurbished units for community groups or entrepreneurs.[10]
In February 2023, it was reported that the repair work was to start the following month,[11] and later that year the lido's pool was given a "temporary infill" of stones in order to create a public space.[12] In March 2024, works were anticipated to finish by summer,[13] however in May 2025 it was announced that the reopening had been delayed due to issues with concrete repairs.[14]
