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Reading lido restoration by Bristol team
The team behind the Lido in Clifton is hard at work preparing to open a similar leisure facility down the M4 in Reading.
In 2013, Reading Borough Council gave operator Thames Lido a 250-year lease of the disused open air swimming pool in King’s Meadow in the Berkshire town.
Opened in 1903, the Grade II listed Edwardian building was last used in the 1970s and is currently undergoing a laborious £3m restoration project, with a small team of builders working to retain original shapes and forms.
Most of the roof has already been restored and renovation work has now begun on the pool.
Workers were recently cooked a meal by Bristol Lido head chef Freddy Bird:
Thames Lido plan to open the restored facility at the end of this year and to operate it in the same style as the popular Clifton site.
Situated on Oakfield Place, the historic Grade II* listed building first opened in 1850, serving as a community leisure facility for more than 100 years before closing to the public in 1990.
Following restoration work and the building of additional spa and restaurant facilities, the Lido reopened in 2008 and has since become a popular destination for swimming, spa treatments and poolside dining.
For more information, visit www.thameslido.com or www.lidobristol.com
Photos: Thames Lido