Droitwich Spa Lido
Local highlightA 1930s open-air pool in Worcestershire filled with natural brine from beneath the town, diluted until it's about as salty as the sea
Open to visitorsopen late May to early September, book a session ahead — a rebuild is planned from early 2027
Droitwich has been a salt town since Roman times, and its brine made it a spa in the 19th century. The lido opened in 1935, designed by Edward Prentice Mawson, with brine pumped from beneath the town and diluted with fresh water to roughly seawater strength, so the town could sell it as the seaside come to Droitwich Spa. The 40-metre pool is still topped up with fresh brine from the town’s Pump Room each season, and the salt makes swimmers noticeably more buoyant than in an ordinary pool. After the lido closed in 2000, a local campaign called SALT (Save a Lido Today) won a 2005 parish poll with 98 per cent support, and the pool reopened in 2007. The heated pool opens from late May to early September, with sessions booked ahead online or in the app. A redevelopment of the lido is planned from 2027, so check before you travel. Droitwich Spa station is about 1km west, beyond the centre of Droitwich Spa.
