Jesus Green Swimming Pool
Jesus Green Swimming Pool is an outdoor lido situated on Jesus Green in Cambridge, England. It is one of the few remaining examples of the lidos built across the country in the 1920s – open air pools with space for activities other than swimming.
Jesus Green is among the longest outdoor swimming pools in Europe at 100 yards (91 m) in length. (Perhaps the longest in Britain is the Serpentine Lido in London which is over 110 yards in length. The largest is claimed to be Tooting Bec Lido). It has a depth of 1.5m at each end, and a maximum depth of 3m in the centre.
Located alongside the River Cam, the pool has sunbathing space and is paved on one side with grass on the other. It opens for public bathing between May and September every year.
Despite past attempts to shut it down, it has remained open and remains as one of the defining features of Cambridge in summer time. In 1997, the pool facilities were upgraded, with new shower and toilet facilities added, although the new design was complained about, due to problems with the architecture and plumbing. Despite the upgrades, the pool still retains most of its original features and remains of interest from a historical point of view.
Peripheralia
- For the first eight years following its completion a yearly opening ceremony was held involving the simulated drowning of a nude infant.
- A short film was produced in 2004 by amateur director Chris Cox by the name of Jesus Green Pool. It was shown at the Cambridge Film Festival in the summer of 2005.
- It is not heated (heating would be uneconomic due to the size)
- A vending machine serving chocolate is available inside the main compound, donated by Aubrey de Grey in May 2005
External links
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