News / Eastville Park
Transformation hopes for long-neglected Eastville lido
Even a bitter hailstorm fails to spoil the romance of the Victorian lido in Eastville Park early on a spring afternoon.
Hidden away behind a tall, ornate metal fence and red brick walls, with foliage breaking through the cracks, the long-disused swimming pool has survived against the odds and acts as a lasting reminder of the site’s rich heritage.
One resident – accompanied by a small group of students – has a vision to transform this neglected lido into a thriving space that could benefit the whole community.
is needed now More than ever
Shankari says this is an opportunity to transform the space for the community
“It feels like the right time to see if there is an opportunity to do this,” says Shankari Raj, an architect, lecturer at Cardiff University and local resident.
She, along with the cohort of students from Cardiff University, are braving the ever-changing elements this Tuesday lunchtime to ask people for their views on what should be done with the space. The resounding favourite so far is to see the Victorian lido restored into an open air swimming pool, with café facilities.
“It would be amazing to see something done here,” comments one passer-by. “There’s not enough lidos in general and it would be beautiful as a swimming pool.”
“It’s such a good idea,” agrees her friend. “Or it could be a wildlife reserve.”
Students talk to residents about the future of Eastville lido
Originally build as a lido in Victorian times, the swimming pool which is located at the top of the park, near the children’s play area, was damaged by schrapnel in World War Two and was subsequently turned into a community garden in the 1980s.
Locked up by the council in 2017 to deter late night parties, the space was brought to life temporarily last summer when Bristol’s Insane Root theatre company put on a production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the unique space.
The play’s success could act as the catalyst for transformation in the former swimming pool.
“The space has a strong heritage and people are using it, but we wanted to add more meaning to the place,” explains student Ian Tsang.
“The pool has a lot of potential, so we are looking into that. We want to preserve the existing walls and create a communal space.”
The former swimming pool survived the war, but has since fallen into a derelict state
Shankari adds that the prospect of reviving the old swimming pool has been talked about many times over the years. Students have to do a ‘live project’ and engage with the wider community as part of their course, so she enrolled them on the Eastville Park project.
“We are going to have a gold, silver and bronze option for the space,” Shankari tells Bristol24/7.
“It could be a swimming pool again, or a sensory garden and theatre space, a lot of people are really keen to have it as a paddling pool for kids in the summer.”
The majority of respondents so far are keen to see a café and toilets incorporate into any proposals for the lido. Findings and proposals will be presented to the wider community at All Saints Parish Church on Grove Road in Fishponds on Wednesday, April 10 from 7.30-9.30pm.
The next step will be to apply for funding to see the vision become a reality.
The historic site could become a thriving community space once more
Read more: Preview: Romeo and Juliet, Eastville Park swimming pool
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