Ipswich Lido / Broomhill Pool
Photos - 19.
Where - Ipswich, Suffolk.
Visited - 27 January 2007.
Posted - 27 January 2007.
Categories -
urbex, pool.
The lido in Ipswich, aka Broomhill Pool was opened in 1938. It was thought to be one of the best pools of the time. It closed in 2002 to the disdain of many. There is a campaign to save and restore it though.
Entrance
This was one of the main entrances.
Pools & Diving Board
There are two pools at the Lido - a small child's pool and a larger & deeper adult pool.
They're full of crap.
The deep end of the adult pool has four diving boards. Not the most elegant construction, but hey.
On one side there is a "beach" area, for resting between swims and sunbathing. It's hard to imagine on a cold winter's morning.
Changing rooms
Obviously people needed to get changed, and this is where they done it. Males were in the blue section, and females the pink.
Grandstand & Refreshments
This could hold around 700 spectators. Blimey.
And that's it. Quite a small little explore, but none-the-less, interesting.
Your Comments
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Posted 3 February 2007, 21:00 From sally wainman
Really beautiful photos, particularly the panoramic long one. The fight to save Broomhill is now in its fifth year, with the results of a Feasibility Study due out soon.
Posted 5 February 2007, 23:40 From Niall
I used to go here every summer when I was a kid. It was always packed, and we loved it. I'm really miffed to see it in such a state. I can't believe people stopped going, so I guess the council just decided to shut it so as not to spend any money on it,
Posted 22 February 2007, 18:50 From sally wainman
Niall - don't give up hope. The fight to save it has been continuous and I have just started a new Yahoo Group called Pooling Resources -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/poolingresources
Posted 3 March 2007, 11:20 From Ian Benfield
Good photos, though sad! Most of the rubbish and weeds were removed during Heritage Open Day last summer and during the Feasibility Study. A full report is now with the council and we members of the Bromhill Pool Trust are hoping for good news soon.
Posted 30 March 2007, 19:20 From sally wainman
Will hopefully be standing in the local elections as independent candidate with broomhill pool as the main issue. If anyone would like to help deliver leaflets after Easter, please let me know.
Posted 21 June 2007, 21:50 From trish
i used to swim here when i was a child, its so sad to see it in this state. will it ever be re-opened?!?!?!
Posted 5 September 2007, 19:00 From sally wainman
The site of Broomhill Pool should be open this Saturday and Sunday 8th and 9th September 2007 as part of the Heritage Open Days.
The times advertised are 11am- 5pm on both days.
Posted 24 January 2008, 17:10 From Ian Benfield
The feasibility study showed there were no major defects at the lido and IBC have pledged £1million towards saving it. In March 2008 the Broomhill Pool Trust will apply for a £1.9 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the total £3.9 million needed. Target date for reopening is 2010.
Posted 12 April 2008, 11:10 From sally wainman
Open Day at the lido on 26th April 2008 to mark Broomhill Pool's 70th anniversary
See main website for details
www save broomhill pool . org
The Heritage Lottery Bid has now been submitted too.
Posted 18 April 2008, 14:10 From Jim
Why has no-one considered alternatives to bringing back this poorly constructed, poorly situated pool. It is away from all major transport links, on a hill (now whoever thought building a massively, heavy construction on the side of a steep hill was a good idea?). No one ever went there except on the sunniest days (I worked there for the 3 of Broomhills last 4 years). It really irks me that people keep saying "I swam their as a child and it's sad to see it in this state", why haven't they been there for 10 or 20 years?!?! The council already shut it temporarily before this recent closure and when it opened again did we see huge visitor numbers desperate to keep the place viable? No.
It was a relatively cheap place to maintain, but if the council want to blow £1 million of our cash please build us a NEW outdoor lido, somewhere flat and easy to get to, maybe even on one of these out of town areas like Next Generation. Or they could pull their finger out and sort out the replacement for Crown Pools that was talked about so much recently and then nothing was done about it.
To sum up, this derelict site is costing tens of thousands of pounds a year more than it did when it was open, and the sooner a decision is made the better.
Posted 18 April 2008, 18:30 From sally wainman
It wasn't poorly constructed at all and has lasted much better than leisure pools built several decades later. The souvenir programme from 1938 gives exact details of the thickness of the concrete, how the pool was designed, the filtration system etc. The "hillside" argument is trotted out on a regular basis but only ever seems to be applied to the pool and not to the houses!
The pool was less popular in its closing years because the Council wanted it to close: they put the prices up so that Broomhill was much more expensive than Crown Pools; they refused to consider season tickets as an option; they made the opening hours erratic and undependable; they made no effort to provide times for serious swimmers to do length training; they did not advertise the pool or promote it - when swimmers went to Crown Pools, for example, there wasn't a single notice up about the lido too.
As for transport links it is a five minute bus ride from the town centre, with buses going up and down the main Norwich Rd at frequent intervals and IBC could have laid on a shuttle bus if they had wanted to promote the lido.
Posted 2 May 2008, 10:30 From sally wainman
Over 500 people attended the Open Day on April 26th 2008, which was the nearest Saturday to the pool's 70th Anniversary on 30th April. The day was blessed with glorious sunshine, in an otherwise rather grey and cloudy month!
An exhibition of the pool's history and hopeful future was on view, along with the impressive archive of six years relentless campaigning. Broomhill Pool closed in the autumn of 2002, so it is something of a miracle that the bulldozers have been kept at bay, so far, by this campaign.
Posted 7 May 2008, 23:20 From lyn
I cannot believe how the place has changed and think its awful it's been closed so long.
I spent long days there as a child in the summers, it was a cheap day out with a pack up (anyone remember the 'easy rider summer passes' for the sports facilities in Ips and free bus travel for kids summer hols?), we cycled there although it was easy to get the bus too and given the state of our local sea (which is hardly inviting) is a fab alternative to going abroad or being cooped up in an indoor pool at the height of summer. When I got older I spent summers working there as a pool attendant and would love to be able to go again for a full day out.
I know in our fickle weather it is easy to say it's costing a fortune to run but agree it was never well advertised - more local word and mouth (and you'd be suprised how many locals don't know it's there!) but to have such a wonderful unique facility in our local community should be used positively, to get people outside, socialising and keeping fit. There are too many distractions to keep us in our own homes these days or simple trips out for a family cost an arm and a leg - maybe this lido can be brought back to it's former glory and when we get those lovely warm sunny summer days it can be used as it was intended and I don't have to wistfully think if only Broomhill was open today!
Posted 24 May 2008, 11:10 From sally wainman
I am walking in the Orwell Walk (25 miles) on 8th June to raise money for the Broomhill Pool Trust - see main website (save broomhill pool) if you would like to sponsor this effort.
Thank you!
Posted 18 July 2008, 20:00 From sally wainman
The Orwell Walk was flooded off this year after torrential rain in the days leading up to 8th June
It will now take place on Sunday 7th September 2008, so if you would like to sponsor the effort to raise funds for Broomhill Pool you still can!
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