Lido, Margate
 

Lidos, which were enclosed sea bathing pools, became increasingly popular as the trend for sea bathing became an ever more sought after pastime of the Victorian era. In the 1920's the Lido at Cliftonville was completed to cater for the popularity of sea bathing. The Lido was built on the existing Clifton Baths Estate, beneath which ran many passageways used by smugglers in previous centuries. The underground complex consisted of bars, cafes and an indoor warm sea water pool with nearby changing facilities. The Lido was hugely popular from it's construction right through to the 1960's. A winter storm in January 1978 which destroyed Margate Pier also wreaked havoc with the Lido, particularly the outdoor pool. Reconstruction work was never even considered, and even today the Lido faces almost certain demolition.

On our visit to this site, we were equipped with gas detectors. It proved to be a wise decision as these detectors actually went off while we were there. As a result we did not fully explore this site; some areas had a strong smell of hydrogen sulphide.

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