Historic swimming pool where wartime Cockleshell Heroes trained is to be demolished

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24-03-2025

A Liberal Democrat council decision to demolish a historic swimming pool has been criticised by neighbours.
The 120-year-old Eastney Swimming Pool in Portsmouth, Hampshire, was used as a training base by the Cockleshell Heroes during the Second World War.
Built on the site of an old gravel pit in 1904 as part of the Royal Marine Barracks, it was initially used as a training and recreational facility for the Royal Marines and a place for rehabilitation of injured servicemen.
Portsmouth Council closed the pool in 2020 and has now decided to demolish it after it was deemed 'unsafe and beyond repair', a plan locals branded 'appalling'.
In 1942, the Cockleshell Heroes used the pool to train for Operation Frankton, a 'suicide' mission in which the team canoed up the Gironde River in south-west France to attack Nazi ships. Only two of the 10 men who took part survived the raid.
A movie about the mission – starring José Ferrar, alongside Sir Christopher Lee and Trevor Howard – was made in 1955, with several scenes filmed at Eastney Swimming Pool.
Portsmouth resident Charlene Robinson's father featured in the film as an extra. He was a Marine at the time.
The 71-year-old retired children's home worker said: 'It's very much part of Portsmouth's history, and there's not much left that's not been demolished or changed. It means a lot to the Portsmouth people.'
Rosemarie Purdy's father was a colour sergeant in the 40 Commando Royal Marines who helped to train some of the men involved in Operation Frankton.
The retired education worker, 72, said he was good friends with Bill Sparks, one of the survivors.
Ms Purdy said she was angry council officials had 'made up their minds', adding: 'You feel that you don't stand a chance.'
She said: 'The pool is a big part of our history in Portsmouth, the military. What will become of that area? You feel that your voice hasn't been heard and they haven't taken into account how people living in the area feel strongly about what will happen because it seems like it will go ahead, but we are fighting as much as we can to save this facility.'
The council closed the pool in 2020 following the outbreak of Covid and locals claim officials 'left it to rot'.
Kevin Gardner, who set up a campaign group opposing the demolition of the pool, said: 'I was swimming at Eastney up until it closed,' he said. 'It's a historic pool.'
Mr Gardner, an electrician, branded the decision to demolish the facility as 'appalling'. He added: 'It's not just the affection for the place because it's 120 years old and was used by the Cockleshell Heroes and all of that – but people like the pool, they like the community.
'In theory it's all over, a done deal... but we don't think they did that in the correct manner.'
Mr Gardner said the campaigners hoped to bring legal proceedings against the council. 'We can only see one way forward and that is to apply for judicial review. At least in court, they would have to answer questions.'
It is understood that plans to build a new £23.4 million pool and gym 750m away in Bransbury Park led to the decision to demolish the Eastney pool.
Ex-marine Jim Walker, 76, taught cadets to swim at Eastney, and started swimming there himself in 1966.
'It's been left to rot basically, hasn't it,' he said. 'It's very old, and it's been totally neglected since the council closed it down.
'What would be better than renovating what's already there? Anything's possible these days.'
Mr Walker's wife Jane Walker, 76, is a retired swimming teacher and thinks councillors are wrong to say children can't learn there.
The mother-of-two said: 'A lot of the councillors are saying you can't teach [there] – I'm sorry, but quite frankly, you're not a good teacher if you can't teach with what you have in front of you.
'Children were so confident in the water [at Eastney], and that's what you want. I've never fought for anything before, but it's a part of the community.'
Councillor George Madgwick, 35, said it was an 'insult' that the facility had not been listed as a historical asset by Historic England.
'I think that the council at the moment seems to just be demolishing our history,' he said.
He criticised the authority for not carrying out any work on the pool for 45 years.
The facility is also believed to be where underwater hockey – also known as octopush – was invented in the 1950s.
A spokesman for Portsmouth City Council said: 'The demolition of the building does not in any way diminish the great respect Portsmouth has for the Cockleshell Heroes.
'An island created as part of sea defence work in Langstone Harbour, where they also trained, has recently been named 'Cockleshell Island' to further mark their bravery.
'To renovate the building to make it safe to use for another purpose would be extremely expensive, not appropriate for a watersports centre, and a poor use of public money.
'Historic England has also declined to list the building on two occasions, as they have noted it does not have any special architectural and historic interest required for it to be listed.'
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