The school holidays are underway and we're in the midst of a baking summer, Ashby Lido has been busy with locals cooling off.

Ashby's outdoor pool is often described as the 'jewel in the town', and is now the last remaining public lido in Leicestershire.

The pool has been open for almost 100 years.

In 1927, Sir Joseph Hood give the land at Hood Park to the town to be used for 'Recreation and Leisure' purposes and in 1929, the iconic open-air 30.5m pool was built.

The pool's first major refurbishment was completed in 1964, costing £25,000. It was officially opened by then-Chairman of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Urban Council Miss Joan Smedley.

The training pool was added in 1973 and in 1985, Hood Park Leisure Centre was built to accompany the outside pool with a new sports hall, gym and social facilities.

Ashby almost lost it's outdoor pool in the summer of 1989 when the District Council decided to close the pool for financial reasons.

This was met with an outpouring of criticism from local people, Ashby Town Council, and campaigners Alicia Fear and Daphne Brown stood up against the closure of the pool.

Their petition reached over 2,600 signatures and led to the District Council to overthrow the decision.

Councillors then agreed to a £75,000 facelift, which featured a new heating and filtration system and relining of the main pool.

1990 was a big year for the outdoor pool with the launch of the 'Ashby de la Zouch by the Sea' marketing campaign, which included a variety of events including a triathlon, 'Swim the Channel' challenge and synchronised swimming displays.

This raised the local profile of the pool, highlighting it as a hub for the community and versatile space for residents and visitors to the town.

A fire at the town's soap factory further cemented the lido's importance in the community when fire crews pumped water from the pool to tackle the blaze.

Jumping forward to more recent history, in 2021 there was another refurbishment to the lido with a sandpit and climbing frame fitted in the old training pool and the whole complex was rebranded from Hood Park Leisure Centre to Ashby Leisure Centre and Lido.

This summer, the lido has a packed schedule of pool parties, family swimming sessions and fun in the sun for the 97th year.

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Thank you to Ashby Museum and Ashby Civic Society who collaborated in the research about the lido as part of their Building of the Month series, which can be found in full on the Ashby Civic Society website.