DORSET’S only open-air pool is open after renovations with some unique swimming session in the heated lido.
Shaftesbury Lido has reopened after three months of upgrades worth £120,000, they celebrated with a nighttime swim and have more to come.
Shaftesbury Lido welcomes swimmers for evening Full Moon events[/caption]
After closing on March 13, the heated lido reopened on June 7.
One of the more unusual sessions is their Full Moon swims celebrating the Strawberry Moon, with swimmers enjoying a late evening dip.
While there are no more evening events in the calendar, the town council website tells swimmers to “keep an eye out for our popular Full Moon Swims” – so there are more to come.
The renovations of the lido were to improve the pool for users and bring it up to modern standards.
The origins of the Lido go back 170 years to the mid-19th century, so it’s no surprise it needed a little maintenance.
In fact, Shaftesbury Lido is one of the oldest pools still operational in the country.
The money for the upgrades was raised by the community, council, local businesses, along with a grant from Sport England.
Part of the fundraising came from the Shaftesbury Lido Ice Championship Extravaganza (called SLICE).
Lido manager Harriet Green told the Bournemouth Echo: “It’s just been amazing, it’s so lovely to have the community get behind us and for the council to believe in the pool.”
Shaftesbury Lido is now fully open for the summer season and along with the classic lane swim, the it also offers other sessions like aqua wellness, parent and toddler, adult lessons, and even naked swimming.
The lido recently opened after three months of closure[/caption]
The lido is in the beautiful town of Shaftesbury[/caption]
It’s suggested to book as the pool has capacity for just 20 swimmers.
During the summer, the temperature of the pool remains at 29C.
It then gets turned off during autumn and eventually cools down for winter.
In 2023, the lido held its very first trial of cold water swim sessions where the water temperature falls below 15 degrees.
During this time, the website suggests that cold water swimming beginners wear a wetsuit to avoid cold water shock.
Plus, the beachfront lido that’s free to use is to close ahead of major renovation.
And the UK’s best outdoor water parks and lidos to enjoy this summer.
Aerial photo from a drone of Shaftesbury Lido in the county of Dorset, UK.[/caption]
