When Eastville Park opened in 1889, it was known as the “people’s park” – the gates opened following a hard-fought campaign for more healthy outdoor spaces for the communities of east Bristol.

In 1905, the original Eastville Park Swimming Baths was opened. This outdoor swimming spot was a popular hub for the community, promoting health and wellbeing, while also being super easy to get to for local people living. The pool sadly closed after being bombed in the Second World War.

We want to bring back outdoor swimming to Eastville Park in the form a People’s Pool. Our plan is not to use the site of the original Baths because it is cherished locally, is too far from services and provides a rewilded habitat for the park’s wildlife. Rather, we have identified the nearby Old Bowling Green, a site which is currently fenced off and has been underused for many years.

The original Eastville Park Swimming Baths was one of 169 built across the UK as recreational facilities by local councils. It was a golden age for outdoor swimming but many closed during the war.

Since the turn of this century, however, there has been a growing movement towards restoring and reopening many of Britain’s run-down, abandoned and forgotten open-air pools. This is because of the growing appreciation of the health benefits of an outdoor dip.