Danson Park Lido – Welling – Bexley 1936. The People’s Park
Danson Park Lido
Danson Park Lido was a lovely sparkling Lido built in the beautiful Park from which it takes it’s name. Danson Park was once the private estate belonging to Danson Hill, a mansion built between 1762-67 for wealthy merchant Sir John Boyd. The grounds were laid out at the same time, designed by Nathaniel Richmond in the manner of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, with a large ornamental lake overlooked by the Mansion. Years later in 1921 the Mansion was sold to Bexley Council. The Mansion now comes under it’s care. The Mansion has been Grade II Heritage Listed lying inside 200 acres of Parkland and was open to the public in 1925[…]
Pointing the way to Danson Park Lido – from the Rochester Way side. 2018
Two pictures from private collection AGJ Expand +
Read more…Gladstone Park Dollis Hill
The People’s Park
Danson Park became “the People’s Park” and a Lido was built in 1936. It was close to the lake and off the Rochester Way. The pool occupied a fairly open clear space in the Park and as such was quite exposed. At the time of opening before, and taking through to after the war, the bathers were of hardy nature and it was a sublime bit of respite to escape for the day. They splashed around in the 165′ x 90′ pool or dived from the diving boards. Children had their own paddling pools.
If not taking in the healthy pursuits of swimming in the unheated pool “freezing” then a restaurant and picnic areas on the grassy slopes were enticing enough to be refreshed and soak up the sun.
Danson Park Lido – Welling
Danson Park Lido was all the more exciting from the list of activities that took place in the Park including firework displays and fayres.
The Danson Park Lido was well patronised but in the end it suffered the same fate as most Lidos around that time. patronage dwindled and…the pool basin started to develop cracks.
OUTCOME. What happened to Danson Park Lido? – gone!
A ghost from the past. Will expand to full size+
It was decided to close the pool in 1979. It became severely and disrespectfully vandalised and was finally cleared in 1982. The area was grassed over. Imagine….
Walking over its former site it’s hard to believe that once a Lido lived there for 43 years. and finally cleared 3 years later. However, if you look closely and carefully, there are remnants to be found. There is an indoor Leisure Centre bordering the Park.
The only evidence that there used to be a Lido just above these drains. 2018 Expand +
Where’s it gone? Danson Park Lido Site. One of the entrances – hard to believe there was a lido situated right here once. The Rochester Way by passing bottom right. Will expand +
No remnants apart from the drain covers, but I still had to have my swim!
Swimming Pool site.Expand to full view +
In the early sixties I cycled by the lido on the Rochester Way many times
Not such a busy road the Rochester Way back then.So I stopped on one occasion to look through the front gates. What a wonderful pool. However it did look cold but although I was determined to try the water I never did.The other day I saw a pix of the front doors and was sad to learn of its demise The open water swimmers of today would have the Lido of yesterday I loved it
Sadly gone forever
Anne: Yes Bob, very sad. You should have taken it that one step further before it disappeared. Such a shame. Thank you for contacting…