Lido History

Brockwell Lido is a Grade II listed Lido located in Brockwell Park in Herne Hill, south London. It was opened in July 1937 and has been a focal point for the community since then, with the objective of providing an “oasis in the city” for local inhabitants, many of whom cannot afford a holiday. On hot summer days the Lido attracts around 4,000 local people, and its popularity is growing.

 

The Lido briefly closed in the late 1990, but after a grassroots campaign by locals with a petition signed by over 4,000 people it was re-opened in 1994 and became affectionately known as “Brixton Beach”. Mounting costs led to another brief closure, when the Brockwell Lido Users (BLU) group (www.brockwelllido.com) was formed in 2001 to campaign for it be preserved.

 

This led Lambeth Council, the owner of the Lido, to work with an external operator to redevelop the site with funding from English Heritage. The Lido was transformed into a year-round leisure complex with a gym, spa, rooms for exercise classes and a café. From 2012 winter swimming resumed, with the “Brockwell Icicles” group helping to establish all year-round access to the unheated pool.