Swindon's historic hydro pool to close for £6.5m revamp

The Health Hydro site was opened more than 130 years ago

A town's historic hydro pool is set to close for 18 months for a £6.5m revamp.

Funded by the government's Towns Fund, work to regenerate Grade-II listed Health Hydro on Milton Road in Swindon will begin on 1 April.

The first phase of the regeneration of the Swindon Borough Council-owned pool will include the creation of a new gym and activity space.

Barnaby Rich, who works for Greenwich Leisure Limited, the operator of the site, said: "It's a huge project."

The GLL partnership manager for Swindon said while visitors will see a difference, a lot of the money will go on "things you don't see".

The first phase of work will cost £6.5m

Mr Rich said: "It's an incredible amount of money but it doesn't go that far these days. We're looking at closer to £20m to re-build a leisure centre."

New accessible changing facilities, upgrades and replacements to mechanical, electrical and plumbing plant systems and a new direct link between the Turkish baths and new changing facilities will also be done as part of the first phase.

A bid for future levelling-up funding from the government had been rejected for future phases of the project but the council said it was already looking at further funding streams.

Other phases of regeneration could see improvements made to the Turkish baths, small pool hall, dispensary and dry-side areas.

New accessible changing facilities are part of the first phase of work

Councillor Matty Courtliff described the project as "historic".

He said: "It will not only improve the quality of experience but will ensure our heritage is protected."

He also said it would help "towards the financial viability of the site".

Opened more than 130 years ago, the site was built by Great Western Railway workers who gave some of their wages to fund the project.

As well as swimming and Turkish baths, the building housed numerous medical services including a dispensary and it became a blueprint for the National Health Service.

Restoring the Health Hydro is a key objective in the Heritage Action Zone, a partnership between the Council and Historic England to regenerate the Railway Village.