Cleveland Pools in Bath to reopen for public swimming

Cleveland Pools has been described as a "huge asset" to Bath

The UK's oldest lido is set to welcome back public swimming more than 200 years after first opening in 1817.

Bath's Cleveland Pools, which will reopen on 10 September, has been transformed after a 20-year campaign by the Cleveland Pools Trust.

The attraction was meant to reopen last year but faced delays.

The pools closed to the public in the 1980s and the project to save them began in 2004 with volunteers working to restore them to their former glory.

Construction workers are building a pontoon on the River Avon so people can arrive at the pool by boat

Over time, support was gained from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which awarded a £6.5 million grant, along with support from Historic England, Bath & North East Somerset Council (BANES) and the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund.

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) also offered support, as well as individual donors, charitable trusts and foundations and crowdfunding.

As the project developed it drew significant support from heritage organisations in the city of Bath and at a national level

Paul Simons, Chair of the Cleveland Pools Trust, said the project has been "a marathon swim, often against the tide".

"But the sheer determination of the local community as represented by the trustees, an army of volunteers, well-wishers, along with supporters - and our dedicated staff - has seen the project through," he added.

He said a pontoon will soon be delivered to the site via the River Avon, and the commissioning of the water source heat pump, funded by Salix Finance and assisted by WECA, will be complete.

The pools use a light chlorine solution

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "It's fantastic people can dive into Cleveland Pools this September."

She said it is a "credit" to volunteers from Bath's community who have "tirelessly and passionately worked to return this beautiful and historic Georgian baths to its original glory".

BANES council leader Kevin Guy said the site is a "huge asset" for Bath.

"Getting to this final stage is the culmination of many years of hard work by everyone involved, thanks to the commitment of so many volunteers," he said.

Tickets for the opening day are free, although they will need to be booked.