Newbury's outdoor pool re-opens after refurbishment
The Northcroft lido has had a £5m facelift
Last updated 21st Aug 2023
Newbury's Northcroft lido has re-opened after a £5m refurbishment.
The lido has been closed for more than a year while extensive work has been carried out.
Today the leader of West Berkshire council Lee Dillon cut a ribbon to mark the re-opening before a sold out opening session began with dozens of families arriving to enjoy the new facilities.
The iconic venue has undergone a complete transformation to provide an enhanced experience for visitors of all ages and to extend the outdoor swimming season from ten to twelve weeks per year to a period of six months, from April through to the end of September.
The pool has been reduced from 72m to a 50m Olympic length pool, making room for a new interactive splash pad and slides, plus a beautiful decking area where people can relax and colourful beach huts to give a seaside feel.
The spiral flume is nearly six metres high, with the racer slides around three metres high.
The pool has also been made shallower with a new depth of 0.9m-1.58m. The 0.9m depth runs for 20 metres and enables less confident swimmers to enjoy the Lido as well as providing opportunities for water based activities. The lower water volume also means that it requires less energy to heat the pool and is therefore better for the environment.
Existing buildings have been improved and accessible changing facilities are in place
Cllr Lee Dillon, Leader of West Berkshire Council said:
"We're incredibly proud of the new Lido. The pool is absolutely stunning and the slides and splash pad are a brilliant addition that will be enjoyed by families in West Berkshire and beyond for generations to come."
Janine Lewis, West Berkshire's Executive Member for Public Health, Culture, Leisure, Sport & Countryside said:
"This is a wonderful transformation of a truly iconic facility that is embedded in the history of Newbury. The Northcroft Lido has been brought completely up to date but still retains the unique personality that local people love so much. Northcroft Lido is now a destination that will attract not only local people, but visitors from far and wide."
The Lido was first built as an unheated pool in 1870, extended in 1914, and completely rebuilt in 1937, at which point it was believed to be the largest pool in the south of England.