No other type of building conjures up the inter-war years quite like the lido. During the 1920s and ’30s, Britain had an almost insatiable appetite for these stylish outdoor pools, fuelled by a growing awareness of the health benefits of swimming and sunshine. Lidos gave coastal communities a sociable place to swim that was safer than bathing in the open sea.
The word lido derives from the Latin litus for ‘shore’ and originates from a resort in Italy, but the nationwide health movement which led to lidos being built all around the UK coast was also influenced by Germany’s Volksparks, which were dedicated to healthy outdoor pursuits.
In the post-war years, costly maintenance and falling visitor numbers saw many lidos go to wrack and ruin but in recent years there’s been a veritable lido revival, resulting in many
