Jesus Green Lido: Cambridge 'people's pool' turns 100

Dr Annie Morgan-James says Cambridge has had a long association with outdoor, cold water swimming, even before the lido was built

Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge is celebrating turning 100 years old - a year for every yard of its length. The lido has a dedicated band of lifelong swimmers who have taken to the cold water here for decades. So what is its enduring appeal?

"You come through that turnstile and it's like a portal to a special place," Dr Annie Morgan-James explains.

"Your problems are left outside and people welcome you - the pool welcomes you."

Jesus Green Lido lies parallel to the river Cam by Jesus Green Lock and offers quiet idyll in the middle of the city.

A newspaper article showing the opening of the lido by the Mayor of Cambridge in 1923

It began life on 30 August 1923 as the Jesus Green Bath, a 100-yard (91m) long pool with two shallow ends and a deep centre.

The pool is the joint longest in the UK with Tooting Bec lido in London.

This image from the 1930s shows that the lido once had a diving board into the deep centre of the pool

Dr Morgan-James is working on a history of the lido for its centenary year, drawing on the experiences of the people who use it.

The pool was carved out, she says, by labourers who had returned from World War One.

"For the first 10 to 15 years it was filled with water from the river, in fact, people used to complain about the fish," she adds.

"But outdoor swimming in Cambridge goes right back to that period of time when the rules were written.

"In the 16th Century, a young scholar at St John's College called Everard Digby wrote of 'the art of swimming' [the 1587 book, De Arte Natandi] which provided readers with the means to swim, illustrating strokes to stop people drowning.

"It was important because a lot of undergraduates were up to high jinks, jumping in the water."

Bathers take in the sun poolside at Jesus Green Lido in 1967

The lido, pictured during the pandemic, is a quiet oasis that brings the community together, devotees say

Ruth Barnett, 75, of Cottenham, remembers learning to swim at Jesus Green Lido from the age of five.

"We went to school on Milton Road and mum would come and meet us in the summer with our lunch, bring us here - we would swim - go back to school and then after school we did the same again," she says.

Ruth Barnett has been coming to the lido for 70 years

She remembers how the lido custodian both took the entry money and worked as the lifeguard, using a stick with a ring on in it to teach people how to swim.

Ms Barnett still comes to the lido every day and normally manages 18 lengths - when the water is warm enough.

"When you come through the gates you are in a different world," she says.

"It's Narnia. It's wonderful."

Victoria Bursa manages several lengths every day at the lido

"It's my life, I love it - I've got to do it every day," says Victoria Bursa, 74.

"I have this big painting of a swimmer and when I wake up it's the first thing I see.

"It's the feeling of freedom in the water. I would recommend it, but not to too many people - I want it to myself," she adds.

Gregor Alvey has been swimming at Jesus Green Lido for 50 years

Fellow regular Gregor Alvey recently turned 70 and marked the birthday milestone with a swim.

"I've been coming here since 1973 - it's a bit of a haven," he says.

"I'm a retired teacher and I'd come down after work for the last half hour of the day.

"Down here the bells don't ring and there was no one to tap you on the shoulder and ask you for something. It was half an hour of mental freedom."

Finn Barnes started working at the lido as a student and is managing the team before taking up a masters course next year

It is not just the visitors who love the lido.

Lifeguard Finn Barnes, 24, from Cambridge, began occasional work at the lido while studying at Swansea University.

He now manages the 20-strong poolside team which has four lifeguards on duty at any one time.

"I love the atmosphere - it's very chilled out - you're outside all the time," he says.

The Centenary Cygnets will "channel their inner ballerinas" for a performance on the anniversary of the opening of the Lido

The lido also hosts its own troupe of synchronised swimmers - the Centenary Cygnets.

Founder Danya Harris, 36, says she named the team after the baby swans on the Cam.

"After Covid there was a need for being outside and being around other people," she says. "I came here every day and became hooked on the whole cold water thing.

"There was a camaraderie."

Alexandra Crowhurst was one of a dedicated team who started the Friends of Jesus Green in the 1980s

Alexandra Crowhurst, 70, helped establish the first informal Friends of Jesus Green Lido in the 1980s. It was a time, she says, when support for cold water swimming was dwindling and lidos were closing.

"I'm addicted to swimming in cold water - I've always liked swimming in rivers and the sea," she says.

"There was a book called Waterlog by Roger Deakin that made people realise they weren't alone in their love for swimming in rivers - it sparked a revolution and resurgence in cold water swimming.

"Here, it's the length of the pool, the surroundings, the lovely community of people - it's a place where people make friends."

Nicky Blanning stands in front of the new memorial wall, created to honour devotees of the lido who have died

Nicky Blanning, who chairs the 300-member Friends group, says: "It has a community spirit with a wonderful atmosphere.

"Our aim is to speak up for other users and be the liaison between Better [which operates the lido] and the city council who own it - and to ensure its longevity," she says.

Ms Blanning says there's "something so wonderful and invigorating" about swimming outside.

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Those who hold the lido close to their hearts are now looking forward to its next 100 years.

"This pool was built a decade before lidos became popular and it makes Jesus Green Bath ahead of its time," Dr Morgan-Jones says.

"The 1920s was a time of great change, so the idea of this pool in a place like Cambridge that had a divided community of town and gown was key.

"It has remained a very special place in Cambridge.

"It's the people's pool."