Historic lido with Olympic-sized swimming pool and waterslide reopens after £130,000 upgrade

Scottish Sun

19-05-2025

And the UK city getting an entirely new lido
SPLASH OUT Historic lido with Olympic-sized swimming pool and waterslide reopens after £130,000 upgrade
A UK lido dating back to the 1930s has undergone a £130k renovation - and has reopened in time for summer.
Banbury Open Air Pool, part of the Woodgreen Leisure Centre, first opened back in 1939.
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Banbury's outdoor lido has undergone a £130k revamp
Credit: Alamy
It is home to an Olympic length 50m outdoor pool, with eight lanes that are heated.
It also has outdoor slides and a splash zone as well as a food shack serving snacks and drinks.
And the £130,000 renovation includes new showers, toilets and changing rooms, as it reopens today for the summer season.
Rob Pattenden, the council's healthy communities chief, said the upgrades were so the pool could "move with the times".
He added: "With the warm weather we're having, I fully expect people to be making the most of Banbury's wonderful outdoor pool as it opens its doors for another summer."
Both tourists and locals have raved about the pool.
One tourist said: "Love swimming in the wide lanes - just like being on holiday."
While the pool opened in 1939, it was forced to close in 2002 due to ongoing maintenance problems.
However, a campaign in 2005 saw it reopen, which took place on 2009 as part of the leisure centre.
It now has themed events throughout the season, including standard lane swimming as well as toddler sessions.
Five lidos to visit in the UK
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The lido has a 50m outdoor swimming pool that is heated
Credit: Alamy
Thankfully you don't have to be a member of the leisure centre to access the pool.
Tickets for adults over the age of 16 cost £5.65 while kids and seniors over the age of 50 cost £3.70.
Under threes swim free, although the Aqua Tot sessions cost £2.50.
It isn't the only lido that has recently undergone a huge renovation.
Guildford Lido in Surrey is one of the oldest in the UK having opened in 1933.
Closing for the winter season it has since revealed it's huge £2.1million revamp in time for the summer.
And Manchester it set to get a new lido between Ancoats and New Islington.
Swimming safety advice
Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer:
How to stay safe at the beach
Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: "If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety.
"If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard."
How to stay safe at the swimming pool
Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: "Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency.
"It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life".
An Auqabliss spokesperson added: 'Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool.
'Children may try to grab these from the pool's edge and fall in."
How to stay safe at a waterpark
Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: "Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.
"And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
'Waterparks are often very busy places and it's easy to lose sight of a child in a split second."
If you like swimming all year round, here is a UK lido that is open all year round.
And here is a UK lido in one of the UK's trendiest seaside towns that is right on the beach.