Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge, England

Outdoor swimming pools (or lidos) were popular in the United Kingdom between World Wars I and II, and quite a few were constructed around the country.  However, one of the most unusual to be built was the lido in Jesus Green (a park named after nearby Jesus College) in Cambridge. 

Opened in 1923, the Jesus Green Lido runs parallel to the River Cam and was designed to look similar to the river itself.  With a length of 100 yards (90 meters), it is tied with the Tooting Bec Lido in London as the United Kingdom’s longest swimming pool.  However, the Jesus Green Lido is only 15 yards (14 m) wide, which is only enough space for three lanes of swimming. These unusual dimensions make it appear particularly elongated.  The pool is also relatively shallow, varying in depth from 1.1 to 2.8 meters.

When the pool was originally built, its water came from the river, and swimmers reported seeing fish in the pool, but since World War II, the pool has been filled from the city’s municipal water supply.

Many of the other lidos that were constructed across the United Kingdom in the interwar period have since been closed, but the Jesus Green Lido has survived and is now over 100 years old.  The facility is both a recreational and exercise facility used by local residents and a cherished oddity within the city of Cambridge.