Photo credit:@multnomahmedia
IT WAS A DELIBERATELY SECLUDED SPOT. IT WAS A PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUB FOR UP-AND-COMING GENTLEMEN WHO WERE TYPICALLY NUDE, SO WANTED THE PRIVACY
Tucked away behind a row of Georgian terrace houses, sandwiched between the Kennet and Avon Canal, Brunel’s Great Western Railway and the River Avon, it is no surprise that Britain’s oldest lido fell into disrepair and was almost lost. Built in 1815, it is thought the pools were built after the Bathwick Water Act prohibited nude bathing in the River Avon. Financed by public subscription, the pool opened using diverted river water. “It was a deliberately secluded spot,” says Sam Grief, Cleveland Pools Trust’s Community Engagement & Volunteer Officer. “It was a private members club for up-and-coming gentlemen who were typically nude, so wanted the privacy.”