Charlton Lido
The deep end of Charlton Lido
51°28′33″N 0°02′20″E / 51.4759°N 0.0390°E / 51.4759; 0.0390
LocationHornfair Park, Shooters Hill Rd, London, SE18 4LX
Opened1939
Operated byGreenwich Leisure Limited
Owned byGreenwich London Borough Council
ArchitectHarry Rowbotham and T. L. Smithson
Typeopen air
Length50 metres (160 ft)
Width20 metres (66 ft)
WebsiteCharlton Lido website
Facilities
gym, spin studio, cafe

Charlton Lido (branded as Charlton Lido and Lifestyle Club) is a swimming pool and leisure centre in Hornfair Park, Charlton, southeast London.

Facilities

As well as the outdoor Olympic-size swimming pool heated to 25C all year,[1] the centre has a children's pool, outdoor sunbathing space, a gym, spin studio, and a cafe and rooftop terrace,[1] plus tennis courts nearby.[2] It is managed by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL, trading as 'Better') on behalf of Greenwich London Borough Council.[3]

History

The last municipal lido to be built in London, Charlton Lido first opened in May 1939.[4] Similar to other London County Council lidos designed by Harry Rowbotham and T. L. Smithson in the Moderne style,[5] it has a 165-foot main pool, a smaller children's pool, cascaded aerator fountains and Moderne-style shelters and changing blocks.[6] It closed four months after opening due to the outbreak of World War II, eventually reopening in 1946.[7]

Declining revenue and increasing costs meant the lido closed to the public in 1989, though it continued to be used sporadically by local clubs.[7] It became derelict in the 2000s, but was refurbished ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, with the first phase completed in July 2012, attracting 5,000 visitors in its first month of operation.[8] At the time of the £5m refurbishment, a GLL proposal to rename it "Royal Greenwich Lido" was rejected.[9][5] The refurbishment was completed in 2013,[10] creating what was described by The Guardian as "London’s newest (refurbished) lido, a sparkling facility in an otherwise unremarkable part of London".[11]

In 2019, an event was held to mark the 80th anniversary of the lido's opening, attended by Olympic gold medallist swimmer Duncan Goodhew and Channel swimmer Tom Gregory.[12] Forced to close during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Charlton Lido was the first lido to reopen, on 11 July 2020, when restrictions were relaxed.[13] Lamenting the COVID-19 lockdown closure of swimming pools, the London Evening Standard's Vicky Frost earlier described it as:

"... defiantly not built for Instagram. It has neither the cool of Brockwell or London Fields, nor, thankfully, the freezing waters of Tooting or Parliament Hill lidos. ... Instead its 50m lengths are the perfect temperature, and its chilly terraces the perfect space for a post-swim cup of tea."[14]

References

  1. 1 2 Wilkinson, Janet; Pusill, Emma (2019). The Lido Guide. Unbound. pp. 158–159. ISBN 9781783527441.
  2. ↑ Ellis, David (11 May 2022). "London's best outdoor swimming pools and lidos, from Hampstead Heath to London Fields". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  3. ↑ Pool of the Month: Charlton Lido Archived 2019-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, Time Out.
  4. ↑ Adkins, Frankie (19 July 2021). "The south London lidos to visit during heatwave". News Shopper. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  5. 1 2 Inglis, Simon (2014). Played in London: Charting the heritage of a city at play. Swindon: English Heritage. p. 163. ISBN 9781848020573.
  6. ↑ Charlton Village Conservation Area Draft Management Strategy. London: Royal Borough of Greenwich. March 2016. p. 23. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  7. 1 2 "London's Lidos Charlton". London Transport Museum. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "Charlton Lido celebrates 5,000 visitors since last month's reopening". News Shopper. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  9. ↑ Trotter, Sarah (30 September 2013). "Consultation over Charlton Lido renaming after tide of opposition". News Shopper. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  10. ↑ Charlton Lido History Archived 2019-10-18 at the Wayback Machine, Southwark News.
  11. ↑ Choat, Isabel (24 July 2015). "An outdoor swimming tour of London – top 10 lidos and ponds". Guardian. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  12. ↑ Graham-Simms, Nicola (14 May 2019). "Swimmers help celebrate Charlton lido's 80th birthday". London News Online. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  13. ↑ Beanland, Christopher (23 July 2020). "Lidos are reopening — and outdoor swimmers can't wait to get back in the water". The i. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  14. ↑ Frost, Vicky (1 May 2020). "I'm dreaming about swimming - the sense of power and peace". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
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