In 2005 English Heritage published Liquid Assets: the Lidos and Open Air Swimming Pools of Britain (Smith 2005) as part of the Played in Britain series. Liquid Assets contains case studies for a number of lidos, some of which are demolished or under threat of demolition. The directory lists over 300 entries for open air swimming pools in the United Kingdom , though well over half of these are defunct. The various campaigns to save or re-open threatened pools show the growing public interest in these pools. Ipswich ’s Broomhill Pool, for example, recently featured as the ‘Building of the Month’ on the website for the 20th Century Society, and is currently the subject of a conservation appeal. [www.savebroomhillpool.org]
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Saltdean Lido, Brighton [© Crown Copyright.NMR] |
The monuments themselves range from simple open air pools that date to the early 1800s, with little more than changing room facilities, to the expansive 1930s recreational complexes, like the threatened Salt Dean Lido in Brighton [pictured above]. Many pools are known only locally from their existence on historic Ordnance Survey maps, for example, the Newnham Swimming Baths in Bedford which were demolished in the late 20th Century. This site is not mentioned in the Directory of Liquid Assets but was drawn to EH's attention by Stephen Coleman, Historic Environment Information Officer for Bedfordshire.
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Newnham Swimming Baths [AMIE 1438493], as shown on historic OS maps [1901 1:2500] with modern base map showing same location
© and database right Crown Copyright and Landmark Information Group Ltd (All rights reserved 2006) Licence numbers 000394 and TP0024 |
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© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. English Heritage 100019088. 2006 |
Many of these monuments did not meet the criteria for receiving statutory protection. They have often been demolished as they fell into disrepair due to the expense of their upkeep and a dwindling interest in outdoor swimming. However, these pools were once an important aspect of local social recreation and as such, should be recorded. During 2006, Projects Team staff at the National Monuments Record (NMR) have been in touch with some heritage professionals at Historic Environment Record offices for help in locating some of the destroyed pools. Local knowledge is an invaluable resource in a project of this kind. The resulting monument inventory records will contain a descriptive summary about the pool, as well as details like the monument type, location, date, architect, bibliographic sources and any other points of interest. All of the records are captured spatially on the NMR's GIS ArcView mapping system, which is linked directly to the AMIE database.
AMIE Database
The planned project will enhance the NMR’s AMIE [Archives and Monuments Information, England] database by over 300 records. This national inventory contains indexed descriptions of monuments and buildings, including maritime records, which is linked to computerized mapping and includes bibliographic records. This record contains 400,000 site specific records and 170,000 activity records. The monument records in AMIE are available online through Pastscape and will also be accessible via the Heritage Gateway. All inventory records are edited to current agreed standards and include a detailed monument summary, information on periods and monument details, and cross referenced with any relevant Listed Building numbers, Viewfinder Image numbers or other statutory listings.
The Work of the Projects Team
The Projects Team are one of a few teams in the Heritage Data department at the NMR [National Monument Record] in Swindon who work on the AMIE database. The Projects Team undertakes enhancements that usually follow a theme to support research undertaken by other areas of English Heritage and also to reflect areas of public interest. Another current project is recording inventory records for the buildings listed in The Workhouse: A Study of Poor-Law Buildings in England (Morrison, 1999). Past projects have included Victorian cemeteries, military airfields, WWII crash sites, rock art and textile mills.
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Former Workhouse in Ely, Cambridgeshire
[Tower Hospital, Ely, Cambridgeshire © Steve Cole, Image supplied courtesy of Images of England] |