The 126-year-old UK lido that’s ‘more like Greece’ with lazy rivers and elephant slides
A UK lido that dates back more than 100 years has been compared to the Mediterranean.
Across the UK are a hundreds of outdoor swimming pools, ranging from small tidal pools to much larger swimming complexes.
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And one of the older ones is found in Kent, with The Strand Lido in Gillingham.
It opened on June 27, 1896, with much of it remaining unchanged, although with modernisation.
It is the only riverside salt-water pool in the UK, with the water chlorinated (although not heated), which has seen it added to the Historic Pools of Britain list.
But with slides and attractions inside, experts have said it is “more like Greece than Kent”.
According to the book The Lido Guide: “Nothing about the exterior gives away what lies within.
“What lies within is a riot or Mediterranean-resort-style colour and fun.
“Any children in the party will be completely unable to contain their excitement.
“The whole thing is a freeform riot of bright white painted concrete, edged in royal blue, that gives the treated river water that fills the pool a hue that is more reminiscent of Greece than Kent.”
Along with the pool, there is also a 300m lazy river, as well as elephant slides and water jets.
The book added: “It takes a special sort of curmudgeon not to grin like a loon while hurtling down a pink elephants trunk into brilliant clear water.
The pool itself has six, 25m lanes, as well as a smaller toddler pool.
Also onsite are changing rooms and showers by the pool, as well as a shop selling inflatables and a cafe although you can take your own food in.
Previous guests have raved about the place, with many praising the cap on ticket numbers to avoid it being too busy.
Another said: “Brilliant lido. The kids had a brilliant time.”
Due to being unheated, it is only open during the summer months.
This year it is open from May 25 to September 1, with bookable tickets for two sessions – 10:30am to 1:30pm and 2:30pm to 5:30pm.
Tickets range from £4.75 for seniors and juniors while adults are £7.20. Kids under three go free.
The swimming pool was forced to close at short notice back in May, although has since reopened.
If you don’t fancy a swim, there are other attractions at the Strand Leisure Park including a sand pit, mini train and mini golf.
The Strand Lido isn’t the only pool to have been compared to a much more exotic destination.
Shoalstone Seawater Pool in Brixham has been compared to Sydney’s Bondi Iceburgs.
The Lido Guide said: “Any swimmer who has spent any time at all looking at swimming-related social media feeds will be familiar with the Bondi Icebergs sea pool, even if they have never set foot in Australia.
How to keep your kids safe at water attractions
Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, revealed four essential pieces of safety advice to ensure families can enjoy waterparks safely this summer.
1. Follow your child’s lead
“The best form of introduction to water is child-led, allowing the child to play with the water and pour it onto their body when ready.
“Sitting in shallow water allows children to explore, and also gives them the opportunity to turn onto their tummy and crawl through the water if they are confident.”
2. Accompany your kids on slides
“Make sure there are two adults – one to remain with the child at the top of the slide and the second to be waiting at the bottom.
“Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.”
3. Use toys to help children learn
“Children learn through play and they gain confidence the more time they spend around water.
“Sinking objects are fun as long as the child leads their exploration under water – never force them to submerge to find a sinking toy.”
4. Always stay alert
“Wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
“These environments can get busy, splashy and can become quite overwhelming, knocking the most confident of swimmers off their feet and under the water.
“We’re not usually in the business of comparisons […] but in the case of Shoalstone, the comparison is so powerful it would be remiss not to mention it.”
And here’s a pool in London which swimmers say feels like Tenerife.