The regeneration of the historic Cleveland Pools in Bath has been recognised with a prestigious European award.
The Cleveland Pools in Bath | Photo © Anthony Brown
The revival of the 200-year-old pools was noted as an ‘example of rescuing open-air pools’ for northern Europe, as it was announced as a winner of the Europa Nostra Awards 2023.
The regeneration of Cleveland Pools is one of 30 projects to be honoured as an ‘outstanding heritage achievement’, from a wide-ranging field of applications from 21 countries across Europe.
Europa Nostra Awards judges highlighted that the restoration of the 19th-century open-air Pools had been ‘driven by the local community’.
They also praised the use of “green energy and a holistic approach to reinstate the site’s original function while adapting it to 21st-century standards”.
Responding to the award, Paul Simons, Chair of Cleveland Pools Trust said: “After three national awards, the Cleveland Pools Trust is delighted with this European Heritage Award from Europa Nostra.
“It is further evidence of the appreciation of the amazing achievement of all involved. With the construction of the pontoon to provide a riverboat bus stop now underway, the project is in its final stage, and we look forward to opening the Pools for swimming in the coming months.”
The Cleveland Pools first opened to the public in 1817 and closed in the 1980s.
This site has now undergone a comprehensive restoration thanks to a community-based, volunteer-driven campaign.
The project to restore and reopen Cleveland Pools began in 2004, when a campaign to oppose the sale of the site for commercial development gained significant support from heritage organisations in Bath and at a national level.
The regeneration project is focused on restoration, conservation and environmental sustainability, prioritising accessibility for the whole of the local community in and around Bath.
The Cleveland Pools Trust is an independent registered charity and company. It has played a crucial role in the project by prioritising community engagement and involving large numbers of volunteers with a diverse range of backgrounds, skills and knowledge.
The project has received financial support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, Bath and North East Somerset Council, and the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund, as well as from individual donors, charitable trusts and foundations, and crowdfunding.
The European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards were launched by the European Commission in 2002 and are run by Europa Nostra.
The Cleveland Pools is now in the final stages of the restoration and aims to open to the public later this year.
