| Tinside Lido | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| 50°21′47″N 4°08′33″W / 50.3631°N 4.142389°W / 50.3631; -4.142389 | |
| Location | Hoe Road, Plymouth, PL1 3DE |
| Opened | October 2, 1935 (1935-10-02) (reopened 2005)[1] |
| Closed | 1992-2005 |
| Owned by | Plymouth City Council |
| Architect | John Wibberley (1878-1936) |
| Type | open-air, seawater |
| Status | Grade II Listed |
| Length | 180 feet (55 m) |
| Depth | 2 feet (0.61 m) − 9 feet (2.7 m) |
| Website | www |
Tinside Lido is a 1935 Art Deco lido in the city of Plymouth in south-west England.[2][3] It is sited beside Plymouth Sound and is overlooked by Plymouth Hoe and Smeaton's Tower. The lido is open in the summer months between May and September.[4][5]
The lido was designed in 1935 by John Wibberley.[1] It was officially opened on 2 October 1935[1]
A victim of declining popularity and neglect, the lido closed in 1992 but a vociferous local campaign led to a renovation, at a cost of £3.4 million, and Grade II Listed Building status in 1998.[1] The facility re-opened to the public in 2005.[2][6][7] During refurbishment the three tidal pools, pontoons and diving boards were all removed or filled in.
A lift and hoist were added in 2009 for disabled access.
The lido design is a semicircle of 180 feet (55 metres) diameter.[1]
The site comprises a concrete pool, counter-fort outer walls, reinforced concrete inner walls, duct walls and floors. The main building is reinforced with concrete and has some stone retaining walls. The semi-circular pool has projecting jetties, and at the entrance, there are circular cutwaters separated by steps. The changing rooms are in the art deco style and have square metal windows and a staircase. The pool has three fountains and is surrounded by cast-iron railings.[1]
The pool is used to celebrate the summer solstice, when it attracts its largest crowds.[8]
Alongside the ring of bright lido water pushing into the grey sea are several smaller, unregulated pools and rickety diving platforms... It had a stunning view: a turn of the head took you from the chopping sea to the clarity of the pool; a lift of the chin took your eye from the blue water to the blooming of "Plymouth" written in municipal bedding plants on the hill above.
This beautiful 1930s colonnaded structure below Hoe Road reopened in 2003 after years of neglect and local government wranglings. The huge, semi-circular, art deco-inspired pool uses treated seawater and is open for a cooling dip from May to September. Plus there are three tidal pools built into the rocks next door, with high diving boards to boot.
