Stunning UK lido ‘that feels like the seaside’ to get £12.5million makeover including new spa and saltwater pool
ONE of the oldest lidos in the UK is set to undergo a huge expansion with a new spa and children’s water play area.
Droitwich Spa Lido near Birmingham originally opened in 1935 and is one of the few remaining open-air, saltwater pools in the UK and now, it will get a £12.5million facelift.
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There will be several new features at the lido including a spa experience, a new brine pool, a new reception and a new water play area for little ones.
Other parts of the attraction will be updated, including reintroducing Art Deco features, enhancing the cafe and refurbishing the changing rooms.
Councillor Richard Morris said: “The Droitwich Lido is seen as one of the best in the country and when the public were consulted about the Town Prospectus the residents in Droitwich rated it the area they were most proud of after fighting for it to be reopened in 2007.”
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He added that the final design might evolve, but that the lido is expected to open in the first half of 2028.
Currently, the destination already includes a heated saltwater pool, children’s wet play area, sun terrace and a cafe.
The 40metre lido also sits on vast deposits of salt, which have been extracted from the ground for centuries.
In fact, the natural brine in the town is 10 times stronger than sea water and when the lido first opened, diluted brine was pumped from the local streams into the pool to keep it aseptic.
It was then heated to the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea and marketed as the ‘seaside of Droitwich Spa’, without actually being on the seaside.
The lido previously closed in 2000, but remained a popular attraction with many travelling to just see the once busy open air pool.
Top 10 lidos and outdoor pools in the UK
- Jubilee Pool, Penzance, Cornwall
- Tinside Lido, Plymouth, Devon
- Brockwell Lido, London
- Hathersage Swimming Pool, Peak District, Derbyshire
- Saltdean Lido, Brighton, East Sussex
- Sandford Parks Lido, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
- Bristol Lido, Clifton, Bristol
- Ilkley Lido, West Yorkshire
- Gourock Outdoor Pool, Inverclyde, Scotland
- Nantwich Outdoor Brine Pool, Cheshire
Then in 2007, the lido reopened having been completely refurbished, with the water still using a natural brine feed.
Previously, the pool was even named the fifth best in the country by The Times.
The pool is already open for the 2026 season and is heated to between 22C and 26C.
General swim sessions costing from £7.20 per adult for an hour or £9.40 for two hours and £7.20 per child per session.