Memories of Roundhay Park's open air swimming pool

The open air swimming pool at Roundhay Park was at the southern tip of Waterloo Lake, near the dam, and opened in June 1907 at a cost of cost £1,657. It was built by the unemployed as part of a public works project and boasted stepped sides, a springboard, changing huts and a children's paddling pool. The pool was chlorinated - there was a filtration hut nearby - but never heated and was notoriously chilly. It was initially popular, but fell into decline and disrepair until 1937, when it was restored and rejuvenated. By the 1950s and 60s, it attracted around 100,000 visitors every summer. The pool's usage declined again, and by the late 1980s it had shut and the area was later cleared - although remnants of the structure were visible until the early 2000s. The photos are a mix from the YEP archive and others published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. READ MORE: Photos capture Roundhay Park frozen in time LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook