Beccles Lido is an open-air pool at Puddingmoor, Beccles, Suffolk, on the banks of the River Waveney.
| Beccles Lido | |
|---|---|
 Beccles Lido in May 2022 | |
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| 52°27′28″N 1°33′34″E / 52.457709°N 1.559439°E | |
| Location | Puddingmoor, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 9PL |
| Opened | 1959 |
| Closed | 2008* Reopened 2010 |
| Type | Open-air, heated |
| Length | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Width | 16 metres (52 ft) |
| Website | beccleslido.com |
| BecclesLido | |
Description
editThe lido is 30 x 16 metres with a diving board, small slide, paddling pool and sunbathing area.
It is normally open from late May to early September. It was closed throughout 2009 but reopened August 2010 following a change of ownership and subsequent refurbishment.
History
editThe lido was constructed in 1959 on the site of an older bathing pool. Prior to that swimmers used a fenced off part of the River Waveney in the town.
Heating was installed in 1975.
In 2004 Waveney District Council announced plans to close the lido and to build an indoor swimming pool. In reaction to these plans, the Friends of Beccles Outdoor Pool campaign started in 2006.[1][2] In 2009, Waveney District Council decided they would no longer manage the Beccles Lido (nor Halesworth Open Air Pool) after April 2009 so neither opened. Beccles Lido Limited was created and they re-opened the lido in 2010.[3][4][5][6]
The chairman of Beccles Lido, Maureen Saunders, won a community pride award in July 2009 for her work campaigning for the lido and establishing the management company.[7]
Beccles Swimming Pool is one of the town’s most popular summer sporting attractions providing not only a pleasant riverside leisure spot for local people and holiday visitors alike but also valuable service as a place where people can learn to swim.
— Beccles & Bungay Journal, April 3rd 1976
References
edit- ^ "Future of open air pool discussed". BBC News. 2 January 2009.
- ^ Smith, Dorothy (28 December 2002), An Account of the Corporation Bathing Place Beccles, Beccles Museum Books, ISBN 1-903045-02-9
- ^ "Popular outdoor pool is closed". BBC News. 3 June 2009.
- ^ "Beccles outdoor pool is saved". Lowestoft Journal. 30 July 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Beccles Lido Newsletter (PDF), May 2009, archived from the original (pdf) on 18 July 2011
- ^ Beccles Lido Limited (BLL) became a registered charity, number 1132102, on 13 October 2009.
- ^ "Winners are hailed in Pride awards; Winner: Maureen Saunders, from Beccles". Lowestoft Journal. 10 July 2009.
Maureen is chairman of Beccles Lido Limited, a group who are preparing to take over the running of the outdoor pool and get it back to being the facility that Beccles can be proud of. Her enormous amount of work has included constant emails, meetings and phone calls in spite of bouts of poor health.
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