UK's deepest lido is reopening this summer after three years – and an £8.75 million upgrade
THERE'S good news for outdoor swimmers, as Hilsea Lido is set to reopen in a matter of months.
The outdoor swimming pool, which is the
4
The Hilsea Lido has been closed since 2022
4
The lido has been popular with Hilsea locals since the 1930s
Credit: Portsmouth City Council
The
It closed its doors back in 2022 for a refurbishment - thanks to the Government's Levelling Up programme, the outdoor pool benefited from £8.75 million worth of investment.
Along with a fully functioning pool, there will be new changing rooms, benches, tables, and a fountain.
The CGI plans also reveal grass areas with sun umbrellas and sunbeds for relaxing
next
to the pool.
Read More on UK Lidos
According to
At the moment, locals can't see the works as there's a protective tent over the site.
There are heaters underneath keeping the temperature at 8 degrees which is crucial for the rendering to cure.
Finishing touches are being made like the tiling, the pool base has been stabilised, and the original lagoons have been restored.
Most read in News Travel
To keep the pool going and without further need for work, a modern filtration system has been installed.
Parts of the original lido have been removed, like the spectator stand which was declared unsafe during the upgrade.
New £4million lido to open in UK next year
4
Hilsea is the nation's deepest lido and upgrades have been made to maintain it
Credit: Facebook
The mural has also been removed, but the government website says that the artist will return to paint another once the lido is up and running.
It's not the first time
Local residents then formed a charity called Hilsea Lido Pool for the People who took over its management. The lido re-opened its doors in 2014.
After the current closure, the original plans said that the lido would reopen for its 90th anniversary, which is on July 24.
No official opening date has been revealed just yet, but there is more information on the
It reads: "The project is set to reopen in early autumn 2025, which is the same year the lido will celebrate its 90th anniversary."
The opening of this
And here are the
4
The Hilsea Lido will open in the next few months
Credit: Portsmouth City Council
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Ballintubber Abbey to build heritage and cultural centre
The 800-year-old Ballintubber Abbey in Co Mayo is aiming to become a centre of pilgrimage, with the addition of a heritage and cultural centre. Construction is due to begin next year on the new section which will compliment the existing church building and incorporate preserved ruins at the site. Speaking to RTÉ news Abbey Manager Suellen McKenna said the heritage centre will be a three-story extension. "The ground floor will be depicting the 800 years of the abbey. The second story will be dedicated to the Tóchar Phádraig and pilgrimage walks, and the third story will be a journey through mankind." Money for the renovation was sanctioned last year. Ballintubber Abbey Trust received €5.8 million from the Government's Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. Ballintubber Abbey is the starting point for pilgrims who walk the Tóchar Phádraig, or Patrick's Causeway. This is a 35km pilgrim route from Ballintubber to the top of Croagh Patrick. St Patrick is said to have fasted and prayed along the route as he spread the Christian message in Ireland in the fifth century. In the 1980s, the path was revitalised as a pilgrimage walk with the help of Ballintubber's Fr Frank Fahey. Fr Fahey still meets pilgrims and advises them to light a candle before they depart. He urges pilgrims to talk to fellow walkers about their lives and to offer up their sore feet as an act of penance. "Pilgrimage is always associated with penance. So, the penance is that during the day when walking the 22 miles, there is to be no complaining," he said. "For the things that you could complain about, you say thanks be to God." Ballintubber Abbey organises several walks a year on the Tóchar Phádraig. "You can see Croagh Patrick in the background. You come across every kind of terrain, and nature, and animal along the route." said Ms McKenna. Pilgrim path expert and guidebook author John G O'Dwyer said the Tóchar Phádraig goes back even further than St Patrick. "This would have been a pagan trail, and Croagh Patrick was a pagan mountain." He said the route to the mountain was once travelled by royalty in horse-drawn chariots, and some of the ancient stones from that road are visible in the ground. "It's older than the Spanish Camino," he said, adding that the trail is at least 2,000 years old. "The Camino is only a little bit over 1,000 years." Pilgrim paths are growing in popularity, according to Mr O'Dwyer. His latest guidebook details journeys that can be made on foot in a day or in stages over several days. "For example, you have St Finbarr's pilgrim path in Cork, Cnoc na DTobar, Cosán na Naomh on the Dingle Peninsula." Mr O'Dwyer also notes a rise in foreign visitors coming to Ireland specifically to walk a pilgrim path. Some, he said, walk for the challenge and scenery, others walk as an act of faith. So, what level of walking is involved for Patrick's Causeway? "It's not the same as training for a marathon," said Mr O'Dwyer. "But you do need to be reasonably fit. If you want to smell the flowers and hear the sheep, I'd suggest you walk to the abbey at Aughagower, then on the second day you do Croagh Patrick." Mr O'Dwyer said the benefits of walking in the footsteps of our ancestors and the saints are many.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
UK's deepest lido is reopening this summer after three years – and an £8.75 million upgrade
THERE'S good news for outdoor swimmers, as Hilsea Lido is set to reopen in a matter of months. The outdoor swimming pool, which is the 4 The Hilsea Lido has been closed since 2022 4 The lido has been popular with Hilsea locals since the 1930s Credit: Portsmouth City Council The It closed its doors back in 2022 for a refurbishment - thanks to the Government's Levelling Up programme, the outdoor pool benefited from £8.75 million worth of investment. Along with a fully functioning pool, there will be new changing rooms, benches, tables, and a fountain. The CGI plans also reveal grass areas with sun umbrellas and sunbeds for relaxing next to the pool. Read More on UK Lidos According to At the moment, locals can't see the works as there's a protective tent over the site. There are heaters underneath keeping the temperature at 8 degrees which is crucial for the rendering to cure. Finishing touches are being made like the tiling, the pool base has been stabilised, and the original lagoons have been restored. Most read in News Travel To keep the pool going and without further need for work, a modern filtration system has been installed. Parts of the original lido have been removed, like the spectator stand which was declared unsafe during the upgrade. New £4million lido to open in UK next year 4 Hilsea is the nation's deepest lido and upgrades have been made to maintain it Credit: Facebook The mural has also been removed, but the government website says that the artist will return to paint another once the lido is up and running. It's not the first time Local residents then formed a charity called Hilsea Lido Pool for the People who took over its management. The lido re-opened its doors in 2014. After the current closure, the original plans said that the lido would reopen for its 90th anniversary, which is on July 24. No official opening date has been revealed just yet, but there is more information on the It reads: "The project is set to reopen in early autumn 2025, which is the same year the lido will celebrate its 90th anniversary." The opening of this And here are the 4 The Hilsea Lido will open in the next few months Credit: Portsmouth City Council
Irish Times
7 days ago
- Irish Times
Limerick Mayor eyes introduction of hotel tax to fund tourism offerings
Limerick Mayor John Moran has sought the Government's blessing to introduce a hotel tax or levy in line with fundraising abilities of other European cities with directly elected mayors. Mr Moran, who assumed the unprecedented office last June , has argued for the move even when other local authorities may not pursue a similar financial mechanism. The concept of a hotel or tourism levy – typically explained as a modest tax paid by visitors to support local amenities – has often proven contentious. Dublin's four local authorities are due to examine how such a levy might work, while the hotel industry has pushed back. Although Mr Moran did not specify an approach, he has signalled his intention to pursue the funding model as part of a broad strategy to boost Limerick's economy and tourism offerings. READ MORE [ Modular homes among Mayor's plans for Limerick Opens in new window ] [ Limerick mayor lobbied for €2bn of Apple cash Opens in new window ] Under his tenure, Limerick has created a designated activity company to drive investment. 'Ongoing support for that company is essential for those assets to reach their full potential,' he explained in a letter to Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke, a copy of which was obtained under Freedom of Information. 'To this end, as a policy matter, we would welcome an opportunity to engage with you and your officials about the possibility of introducing a tourism/hotel tax or levy in Limerick as a devolved authority even if other local authorities would prefer not to progress on that route.' The mayor argued that many European city-regions with similarly elected mayors have been granted such 'specific and important local fund raising power which permits ongoing investment in tourism amenities locally'. Taoiseach Micheál Martin requested that all Government departments engage with the Office of the Mayor of Limerick to seek its views as part of the current review of the National Development Plan (NDP). Last year, more than 2.2 million people from more than 200 countries visited Limerick's official tourism site. Mr Moran's correspondence set out a detailed plan for various developments that would boost both regional tourism and the local economy. Noting the county's proximity to the Wild Atlantic Way, and Ireland's immensely successful marketing of the west coast, he said it was anxious to broaden its offerings, exploiting the appeal of minority sports, such as cricket, and cross-over sectors including food tourism. Projects pitched to Mr Burke for inclusion in the NDP, at a combined overall estimated cost to the State of more than €200 million, included the restoration of King John's Castle, arguably the city's most prominent heritage site. The concept includes revealing more of the 13th-century building's features alongside the development of new visitor amenities and interpretive exhibits. 'King John's Castle will be a flagship tourism attraction, acting as a catalyst for urban regeneration on King's Island, facilitating SME growth and job creation, significantly boosting Limerick's capacity to attract domestic and international visitors,' he said. The document also cites ambitions for the redevelopment of the Limerick milk market as a seven-day food attraction; the creation of a 'premier medieval networked tourism destination', leveraging the medieval heritage of surrounding towns; and a northside park along the river Shannon.
