BUDE SEA POOL: What’s it all about?
The Sea Pool at Bude in North Cornwall was created in the 1930s to provide a haven for safe swimming for the people of the town and the thousands of people who visit it each year. It has become an important tourist attraction for the town and its surrounding area.
Now very few similar tidal pools still exist in the UK: Bude’s sea pool is not a man-made lido. It is a semi-natural pool created under the curve of the cliffs which fills twice a day at high tide. Access to the pool is unrestricted and free of any admission charge.
It is a rare kind of construction; man-made but in harmony with the natural environment. Bude Sea Pool provides a unusual opportunity to enjoy a unique experience, close to the ferocity of the natural environment but sheltered from its extreme effects. Included in the town’s conservation area, the Pool was judged to be ‘a significant historic feature and should be valued and maintained as an integral part of the historic resort town.’
On a sunny summer’s day the pool comes alive with all kinds of activities. You’ll see young children, enjoying their first experience of the British seaside while their parents sunbathe on the terraces above. Older children play safely with inflatables, and teenagers learn how to stand upright on surfboards before braving the waves. Kayakers practice their rolls, and triathletes clock up endless lengths as they train. The Sea Pool is important to thousands of people: over 9000 supporters view our Facebook updates.
The Sea Pool is relevant to many aspects of our modern lives. It provides an incentive for activity at a time when obesity is a national concern. Open water swimming and wild swimming are becoming increasingly popular. And the Sea Pool is a vital tourist attraction for Bude, drawing people to the town during the summer months.
The Sea Pool is currently administered by Cornwall Council and faces an uncertain future. During the funding crisis in the winter of 2010/2011 the pool’s funding was withdrawn. Local councillors, pool users, businesses and supporters fought a vigorous campaign to keep the Sea Pool open for the 2011 season. However, the pool must find its own funding for the 2012 season or it will close, perhaps being permanently demolished. The Friends of Bude Sea Pool was formed in early 2011 to secure the pool’s future under local management.
We need your help
To keep the Sea Pool open and to revitalise it so it can thrive for another 80 years. Please Join the FoBSP or Donate to our funds, or Contact us if your business would like to become a Sea Pool sponsor.
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