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The Irish Sun

Edwardian lido that people say is like ‘being in the Med' named one of the best in the UK

A UK lido is said to feel more like being in the Mediterranean after it underwent a multi-million pound renovation. Thames Lido in swimming bath. 5 A lido in the UK has been compared to like being in the Mediterranean 5 Thames Lido in Reading was left abandoned for 40 years Credit: Alamy 5 It has since become a huge complex with a restaurant and spa as well Credit: Alamy The design, with no windows overlooking the pool, allowed women to bathe in privacy. However, it closed back in 1974, and left abandoned for more than 40 years. A £3.5milllion project that started in 2014 introduced a new restaurant and spa facility as well as restored the pool . It then reopened in 2017, with the 25m swimming pool now heated and open seven days a week. Read more on lidos The on-site restaurant has ceiling to floor windows overlooking swimmers with Moorish and Med food. Serving food from breakfast to dinner, you can even book "swim and dine" packages that include both access and meals. Ranging from £35 to £45 each, it includes two dishes and full pool and spa access, with dishes including Turkish style eggs, grilled lamb and Visit on a Tuesday and you can bring your own bottle of wine for free. Most read in News Travel The spa is also raved about with some visitors saying its the "best massage they've had". Costing £85, they range from back massages and facials to a unique Hawaii "Lomi Lomi" massage. New £4million lido to open in UK next year And last year, Thames Lido was named one of the best outdoor swimming places by People have raved about the swimming pool too. One person said: "It doesn't feel like Reading at all - it's like a Mediterranean resort, being able to look out over the pool gives you a holiday feel even in mid-December." "As there are no windows to outside the Lido (other than slit ones to look out over the canal) it feels very enclosed, private and 'otherworldly'." Another agreed: "Amazed to find somewhere like this in the middle of Reading, like being on holiday." 5 Some of the designs are almost Scandinavian, harking back to the redevelopers roots Credit: Alamy A third commented: "The while vibe of this place feels more like you are in San Francisco or similar." To use the pool, it costs between £25 and £30 although includes a two hour session as well as access to the sauna, steam room and hot tubs. There is a membership scheme although there is a waitlist to join, and costs £50 to sign up, along with £78 a month. It's easy to get to, with the nearby Elizabeth Line connecting Reading to London in less than an hour. Another Banbury Open Air Pool, which dates back to the 1930s, reopened to the public earlier this week. In And 5 The pool is less than an hour from London thanks to the Elizabeth Line Credit: