A VICTORIAN lido in England’s most valuable port is currently closed over fears it could fall into the sea.
The 100-year-old beachfront structure, one of the UK’s most iconic seawater pools, is undergoing a £750,000 emergency revamp.
Since it opened in 1896, thousands of people have travelled from all over the world to enjoy swimming in the lido.
Currently closed for renovation work, it sits at the sea’s edge and is replenished daily by the high tide.
Securing the cracked ocean facing wall and damaged floor of Shoalstone Seawater Pool in Brixham, Devon, which is free to use, is expected to cost nearly £1,000,000.
England’s most valuable port, Brixham harbour is a bustling hub, setting a new record in 2022 by landing £60.8 million for the year.
Campaigners are now trying to secure additional cash to preserve the town’s lido for future generations.
Jessica Stock, chairwoman of trustees of Shoalstone Seawater Pool, said they are fighting a battle with the elements – and time – to stop the lido crumbling into the sea.
“We’ve got to the stage where any easterly storm would have taken out the pool,” she added. “We weren’t water tight.”
Stitch it back together
A £500,000 grant from the Local Government, Community Ownership Fund was followed by support from Torbay and Brixham councils, taking the total to £750,000.
Tim Grimes, a structural coastal engineer, said the current renovation work will “stitch it back together so it can withstand these larger storms we are seeing”.
As well as battling the elements, campaigners are also dealing with vandalism issues at the site.
In August, pool manager David Thomas posted a statement on the Shoalstone Seawater Pool Brixham Facebook page explaining the challenges in reopening the lido after it was damaged.
It’s been reported locally that, if the building works progress as planned, the lido could reopen in November.
Brixham, which is an hour drive from both Exeter and Plymouth, dates back to the Saxon period, when it first established itself as a fishing hub.
The port has played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s history, from the landing place of William of Orange to the home for the Royal Navy during World War II.
By the mid-nineteenth century, the town boasted the largest shipping fleet in the country at 250.
As the industry continued to expand, boatyards and fish markets set up around town and maritime-related work became the norm for the area.
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