Before its construction and official opening in 1959, residents of Beccles were left to combat the summer heat by swimming in cordoned-off sections of the River Waveney. Although a previous pool had existed—its opening date 1894—it was closed permanently due to health concerns. According to a newspaper account, the site was later converted into a yacht station.
Early Hopes and Public Demand
The first official mention of the need for a new pool appears in the December 23, 1944 edition of the Beccles and Bungay Journal, preserved in the District Museum’s newspaper archives. On page 3, the article reports:
"The town council is considering the matter of providing a new pool in the borough. It will be recalled that two months ago the Council decided to close the present corporation bathing place for all time, following a report by the Medical Officer of Health on bacteriological examination of the water. A sub-committee consisting of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Mrs G. S. Odam, and Mr E. W. Swindells was appointed to examine the feasibility of constructing a new, modern pool… There is much interest among swimmers and bathers, who eagerly anticipate the post-war period, hoping the project can be realised."
This edition also included requests to temporarily reopen the old (unsafe) pool for that summer—demonstrating the community's desperate need and genuine enthusiasm for swimming facilities.
Funding Roadblocks and Committee Frustrations
Despite widespread support, progress was hampered by the East Suffolk Education Committee, which announced in the February 3, 1945 edition of the Journal (under the subheading “No Grant for Beccles Swimming Bath”) that they were:
"...not prepared to recommend any contribution towards the capital cost."
Instead, they proposed to pay an annual payment to gain access to the proposed swimming pool for school swimming lessons.
Overcoming Terrain Challenges
Efforts were also made to adapt the marshy terrain and local fenland, explored in the March 31, 1945 edition of the Journal, involving land cordoning and site considerations. A final site was chosen that same year in Pudding Moor (the same site as the previous Bathing Place).
Opening Day Festivities
The swimming pool officially opened on Saturday, June 27, with a celebratory event beginning at The King's Head Hotel, followed by a swimming gala at the pool site featuring British Olympic swimmer and then-record holder Neil McKechnie. Distinguished guests included:
- Mayor M.P.L. Hipperson
- Sir Robert and Lady Gooch (Sir Robert chaired the Suffolk Playing Fields Association)
- Mayor and Mayoress of Yarmouth & Southwold
- Town Reeve of Bungay
- Mrs. Coe, Vice Chairman of Wainford R.D.C
- Neil McKechnie
- MP Edward Evans
However, the swimming pool, prior to this official opening, had been open for the previous four weeks in what the aforementioned article labels its ‘trial run’. Across these four weeks the article states that about 18,000 people had already swam in the Lido, and thus proved the economical viability of the new swimming pool, which still exits today.
Legacy and Remnants
An account from July 11, 1962 recounts the removal of the original fence piles from the old pool, which had lingered in a remote corner of the River Waveney and later supported the yacht station. For a time, the building from the old pool served as a makeshift changing facility for the new pool, although plans were soon made to replace it with a modern block.
All photos credits to Beccles and District Museum .
Page written by Eva Swiffen-Cziczovszki