New hope springs for badly flood-damaged Cleveland Pools in Bath

The trustees of flood-damaged Cleveland Pools in Bath have regained control of the site and are holding an open day for people to have a say on the future of the UK’s oldest lido.

The Cleveland Pools in Bath following the restoration in 2023 | Photo © Anthony Brown / Cleveland Pools Trust

The Grade II* listed site, which dates from 1815, is owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council and held on a long-term lease by the Cleveland Pools Trust.

Following decades of dereliction, the Grade II* listed riverside baths at Hampton Row reopened in September 2023 after more than £9.5 million was raised from a wide range of funders.

But in January 2024 the site suffered flood damage from the River Avon and has been closed ever since.

During the few months it was open, day-to-day operations had been sublet to Fusion Lifestyle. The company went into administration in April of this year, and at the time the Cleveland Pools Trust said it may mark an important step forward as it had been constrained in its ability to act while the site remained subject to an exclusive sublease.

The trust has now regained control of the site, and its focus is on the route to reopening the pools.

It has commissioned detailed technical, structural and engineering investigations to understand the full extent of the damage and the repairs that may be required.

Whilst the site was always designed to cope with flooding given its location, and had coped with previous flood events, investigations have established that on this occasion, water was able to enter the plant room due to damage to a waterproof door, with further damage occurring when the pool was subsequently emptied of dirty floodwater while groundwater levels remained high, placing pressure on the structure and pipework.

This week Peter Askew, chair of the Cleveland Pools Trust, said: “Cleveland Pools is a remarkable place, loved by generations of people in Bath and beyond. We know how many people want to see swimmers return, and we share that ambition.

“Cleveland Pools Open Day is the start of the next phase for the pools as we invite people to help shape a positive, sustainable future for this unique historic asset.”

The site will be open on Sunday 13th September as part of Bath’s Heritage Open Days from 10.30am to 4pm.

The free event will offer the public an opportunity to see the historic site, hear more about the work needed to bring it back into use, and contribute ideas for the pools’ next chapter.

You can register your interest at https://www.clevelandpools.org.uk/