The Story of the lost Scarborough South Bay Pool
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Scarborough South Bay Pool in North Yorkshire was once one of Scarborough’s main tourist attractions. The pool was one of many masterpieces designed by Scarborough’s former Borough Engineer, Harry Smith. In this video I cover the creation of the pool all the way through to its demise in the 1980s.
Scarborough was, and still is, one of the UK's most visited holiday destinations. It's also able to boast being Britain's first seaside resort and for the best part of a century, the South Bay Pool was one of its key attractions.
As referenced in the video, I’ve put this one together on the back of some excellent research by Doug Stuart. Here is a link to his website, as promised in the video - cambridge-phot...
Thank you for your great video, the man who set himself on fire before diving in for the show was my father, my mother was one of the display swimmers, that’s how they met. So I exist only because of the south bay pool
Amazing! Do you have any photos you could share with me that I could then share?
Thanks for that , what a shame so many of these landmarks disappear never to be seen again.
Lovely video. What an absolute travesty that there is no memorial to a place that had many great memories for people of the past 😢 this country of ours is shameful
its well documented if you can be bothered searching the internet ,hardly shameful theres no blue plaque just sad sbc never bothered placing one
@@pauljames1258 Its hard to search for something when you dont know it existed in the first place! So yes it is shameful that a part of the resorts history is not mentioned even on its orginal site!
Core memory unlocked. I was here on a family holiday about 1980/81 when I was a child. I remember walking around this pool, it was a right windy day and grey & over cast so there were no swimmers, but I remember feeling scared looking into the water, as it was so dark I couldn't see the bottom and the wind was causing waves on the surface, my dad grabbing my hand and pulling me back from the edge in case the wind blew me in.
For some reason the memory of this I associated with the Spa though, but now I see this, this was definitely the place, 100%
Hello, my name is Eric and I was in a care home in Scarborough in the 70's and loved every minute.
I was 14 when I first arrived from Thornaby on Tees and left when I was 17.
I was in a children's home called Throxenby Hall in Scalby, some of the best and worst times of my life were spent there.
I loved Scarborough, I'm now 62 and would dearly love to revisit it but am too anxious to do it alone.
I've not mentioned this online before but after seeing your video I thought why not.
Thank You for putting that video out there, I don't mind admitting that it made me cry like a baby.
Keep making your videos, stay safe and Thank You again. 😊❤
Cheers Eric. I’m originally from Teesside myself. I also know Throxenby Hall, which is now residential.
Sorry to hear it sounds like you had it tough when you were here. Do try and get back over if you’re able to. If you visit out of season it’s a lot quieter. Take care mate 👍🏼
@NorthYorkshireWanderer Thank You for your lovely reply, I'd love to visit again, it would be good to meet you if that's ok?
I could hug you and say Thanks 😊
Those changing rooms could have been used for all sorts without demolishing them. The Colosseum in Rome hasn't been used with the gladiators for quite some time now, but still standing tall. It's all council's know what to do is demolish everything and for everyone to forget their local history. Could have been made into café or seasonal holiday huts or just a place to sit and look at the sea. Great video.
I walk down there regularly and remember standing in the cold concrete floored changing rooms. It's a shame some of the buildings couldn't have been retained but that's the council all over! Top film work as always!😊
Cheers Dave.
Lovely video as always. Its amazing how many attractions have been and gone in Scarborough alone and I'm staggered that theres nothing marking the site of the old pool to inform what went before - its not like it would cost a fortune! The historical vandalism in this country over the years is deeply saddening.
It really is! Thanks for the comments 👍🏼
I fear the nostalgic seaside town is a thing of the past. Such a shame. Great piece Andrew and god to see you back
Thanks mate.
It really is, unfortunately. But just keen to make sure there’s some kind of document of what was once here.
Sad events, and no recognition of what once was is a great shame.
Brilliant video as usual.
Scarborough, the prime example of how not to run a town. So much lost over the years, criminal.
I was surprised when they demolished the cinema😢
Shame to see it go, can't quite remember how much was left when started taking my kids there when we were stopping close by.
A glorious look into the past - thank you
A very welcome return with a lovely piece reminding us of gone beauties.
Thank you!
I loved swimming in that pool i loved it I spent many happy times there swimming in the sun and rain was gutted when it closed
Fascinating video. Such a shame places like this are gone.
I went swimming there 1960s & early 70s. On warm days, it was packed. People played music on transistor radios & even small reel to reel tape recorders. We smoked, drank pop, talked & swam. You could even go up to the cafe in your swim wear. Entry was 12.5 pence for the whole day. Fab. Shame it's gone, just like the North Bay pool, (now an eyesore behind hoardings advertising the town, lol.)
My parents moved to Oxfordshire from Manchester when I was 4. My grandparents moved to York. During the school summer holidays, myself and my brother were dropped off at my grandparents for a couple of weeks.
My grandad drove us to Scarborough on many occasions.
At 9 years of age, I climbed to the top board. The pool below looked tiny. I'd dived before from a 15ft board at my local pool but this was something else.
It took a good 40 minutes wandering to the edge and finally leaping off.
I remember hitting the water quite well in a good dive, but, oh boy, was the water cold!!
I think I went there as a kid in the 80’s it was bloody cold but great
Wow, that's the first time I hear about that pool. I spent some time there in 1986 and again in 1987 to improve my english. So actually the pool was still open when I was there... what a pity I never went there. I surely would have if I had only known about it. All in all I got so many great memories of my stays in Scarborough. My first kiss actually happend there. And I spent way to much money on South Bay's entertainment locations, especially the ones with the gaming consoles like Double Dragon or Yie ar kungfu (somebody remembers that?).
Gosh! We holidayed at North Bay several times during the 70s and early 80s and frankly had no idea that there was a giant pool in South Bay. A bit of a hike to get to though I guess.
Damn i remember that back in the late 60`s when my parents took us on a holiday there.
Very informative video mate. I am from Wakefield. Born in 1962. During my childhood and adulthood, we would regularly go to Scarborough on day trips and holidays. But, for the life of me, I cannot remember the South Bay Pool. You got my sub, and I will be checking out your other content.
Cheers mate! Really appreciate you subscribing 👍🏼
I used to come to Scarborough on holiday when I was little. Now I live here i absolutely love videos like yours. So many stories. Thank You for this video.
Cheers mate 👍🏼
Just wow 😮 what a beautiful informative video man. Thank you for the education and so sad to here there’s no recognition anywhere to say what it was before 😒
Fantastic video, Also, heartbreaking, all these old videos of the past you don't see the mess or Vandalism of modern day society it often makes me think that I wished I lived in old England and not the mess it is today ❤❤
Thank you Andrew. I first swam in this pool in 1981. The changing rooms etc. felt fairly rickety then. It is a pity that it was demolished. In other seaside resorts, Lido's have come into their own again. I wonder how it might have looked today instead of the star map, which isn't that interesting to most people.
Great video! How sad that something that gave lots of people such pleasure is now forgotten.
Thank you a very interesting tale, I am sure if it had managed to hold on a few more years it could have been revived with interest in cold water swimming these days
It's such a shame our family always went to the pool when on our holidays from 1951 onwards. Thank you for the memories.
Thank you for another delightful, albeit sad, look at North Yorkshire history.
Lovely video. Such a shame, but as they say use it or lose it.
Great video - been coming here for years and never knew there use to be a pool down this end
Fond memories of Scarborough before my hip replacement and after.
Another great video, I never knew this existed!..... where have I been, you ask 🤦. Its tragic that it's lost for good. A lot of what once was forgotten about. Shame on the council for not erecting information about what was here!
A very interesting but also very sad video. It's been so long since I visited Scarborough that I didn't realise that the pool and the buildings had been demolished. I just had to check, and it was 1993. I can place the year as it was only a few months after Holbeck Hall collapsed into the sea. I'm pretty sure that there was at least a bar that was stil open in the pavilon building, but I maybe wrong. Can't believe that was 30 years ago. So sad that there isn't at least a memorial to such an amazing pool etc that would have brought so much joy to so many. Great video and passionate well research information as always.
I don’t know why people moan about the demise of these seaside towns and amenities ,it’s just like the high street shops , our manufacturing base etc if you choose to holiday abroad ,buy outside of the high street ,buy foreign goods instead of British made items ,then how can you expect them to remain in business. If you don’t use it be prepared to lose it.
@@michaelhart895 i remember people complaining its an eyesore and wanting it gone ,probably same people complaining its gone now 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Happy memories!
Yes we definitely need one of those info boards to show everybody how great it once was…..& a new one where the Holbeck Hall Hotel used to stand as the old one is now unreadable. Thanks for another great vlog 👏
Great vid, I’m 70 from Scarborough but live in Adelaide South Australia - spent many a happy day in the summer holidays with a packed lunch and a bag of chips from the corporation cafe on the terrace, also in my late teens when the pool was closed to the public in the evening the Scarborough Sub Aqua club used it for training. Great days plucking up courage to jump of the high board and eventually dive off with a wet suit top on in case I got it wrong , lost count of the number of times I chickened out and came back down the ladder - Ron Loveland South Australia
Cheers Ron. Thanks for commenting 👍🏼
No problem - I guess we should also mention the north bay pool - again in the summer getting home from school and heading straight down to the pool for the evening session - especially I think it was Tuesday nights nick named “Barrowcliff bath night because it was only sixpence to get in - I think the sessions were something like 5:30 to 8:30 - hop skip and a jump for me I only lived in Gildercliff so it was over the back allotments, over northstead railway bridge and down the glen to the seafront - good times with good mates who I’m still in touch with today.
Ron Loveland South Australia
So many of those amazing lidos have gone. My 70s childhood holidays were spent in north Northumberland and a huge treat was a trip to Dunbar Pool across the border. Huge lined pool with gorgeous fountains, boards and an enormous slide ( heaven to this 9 year old and the cold temperature of the water didn’t seem to matter)
Happy memories, Summer 1970!
This is my kind of history. Absolutely fascinating!😊
Another superb video mate,i cant remember that pool at the south bay,but i remember the water park & theme park above it at north bay,had some brilliant times there,i sometimes bike around Scarborough & its sad to see that theres nothing at all to suggest how important & popular this part of history was/is 👍👍
Thanks for such a great video memory - it’s wrong that there is no recognition of the pool in what replaces the space. The pool is a significant part of Scarborough’s heritage and a significant part of my childhood. In the early 1970’s my parents and another family hired one of the summer bungalows (a small room with a kitchenet) and we visited regularly for three/four summers. I remember my Dad going to church on a Sunday lunchtime - which was really a visit to the Spa Bar. In the late 1970’s I had a holiday job with the Council as a lifeguard and was regularly posted to the Pool - the day started with washing out the changing rooms, showers and toilets - with a massive industrial hose - great fun. Then on to duty around the pool - invariably the days weather followed the tide - on the summer days when the tide was out it usually was sunny and the pool filled up with people. I remember it being busy and having to keep an eye on the childrens’ pools, where the fountains acted as climbing frames - with inevitable falls! Also keeping an eye on the diving boards and pool - which attracted the daredevil teens. When we had enough staff one lifeguard was assigned to diving board duty - we rarely had enough staff - on really hot days there were hundreds of people in the pool. So many great memories, thanks again for sparking them…
great video. I have many happy memories swimming there in the 80s. jumping off the round table diving board was scary !
Enjoyable and painful watch as this brings back vivid memories of both open air pools either end of New Brighton and the one in Southport, we had many very happy memories in all three pools during the seventies and painful memories of witnessing the two big pools in both Towns close down and being sufficiently badly neglected to justify demolition! No rose tinted glasses required in writing this either!
Many happy memories of working at the cafe overlooking the pool in the summers of 1970/71/72; it was very busy on fine days but, like so many British tourist attractions, was pretty dismal / deserted when the weather was punk. Our manageress at the time, Mrs Fox, always had designs on the Clock Tower cafe to the North and when I went to visit the SB Pool cafe, for old times sake, in ~1973, Mrs Fox had got her wish and was firmly ensconced at the The Clock 😂
I love your videos and have spent a few nights sleeping in vehicles on the Scarborough front so have a strong affinity for that town especially.
Brilliant video. I love going to Scarborough and would have loved to have seen and experienced this pool in it's glory.
Great video.
Brilliant video. I have vague memories of going in the pool as a child in the 70's. Thank you my friend really enjoyed watching this 👍👍👍👍
Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it.
Great as always never knew anything about this site .thanks for bringing it back to life
Thank you for this excellent video.
I remember swimming in that pool as a kid.
It is another example (one of many) of Scarborough having lost many of it's most precious features, under successive councils with a lack of vision and no appreciation of what makes/made Scarborough unique.
Thankfully Peasholm Park has survived (so far)... we also need to thank the legend that was Harry Smith for that gem.
He should have a statue somewhere in the town.
0:55 That RC dog in the background is so lifelike.👹
Remember swimming there as a kid and jumping off the diving board, think we only used it two or three times, much preferring the north bay pool because it was heated. The cold sea water in the south bay pool was very bracing. As to the architecture of the place it was pretty amazing and almost criminal that it was allowed to fall into such disrepair prior to demolition. Fond memories though.
Really well made, and you manage to point out what a terrible shame this place is now lost to us, but explain why the times they are a-changing. There's a smaller such pool at Tynemouth, I learnt to canoe in it as a kid, and that's now half full of sand and uncared for. I fear next time I visit, it may well be gone. Yes, there should be something more visible at the site to remind and inform about what once used to be there.
We had a SuperSwimming Stadium in Morecambe, a great place to go when we were youngsters in the 1950s . Demolished in the 70s . The thing to do would be to build a new one but we are going to be saddled with another Eden Project like the one In Cornwall..... ok , but what about the locals . The car has taken the place of trains to bring people to Morecambe , some old traditional pubs still thrive . All the theatres have gone . The Midland Hotel is a survivor and the stone jetty a gem . The view across to the Lakeland Fells is the best in the world .Have lived here since 1952 .cheers DaveH
Such a shame that all this has gone but so interesting to watch this. I have an Art Deco railway poster of Scarborough Spa in my bathroom, here in Shropshire, and so I'm reminded of Scarborough on a daily basis but didn't know much about the place until I started watching your videos which have brought back happy memories of childhood holidays. Good to see from your videos that some of Scarborough is just as it used to be. Some beautiful buildings. Keep up the good work Andrew !
Cheers Nigel 👍🏼 I have a few of those posters in my house.
Always enjoy your videos and the research you must put in, thank you
I have fond memories of using the pool in the 70's the water was crystal clear rather like a natural rock pool with seaweed and fish living in it and very deep ! on a hot sunny day it was paradise any other time it was bloody Baltic.
Hi Andrew, we've recently come across your channel, my wife and I visited the North Yorkshire coast for the first time ever staying in Robin Hoods Bay, we packed so much into a weeks stay, god knows why it's taken us so long to visit this area as it's absolutely stunning, we're already planning our return visit in 2025 as we're all booked up for 2024, anyway we've watched quite a few of your films and we've been very impressed with the quality and the information you include, it must take quite a while to do all the research, keep uo the good work and all the best, Steve & Jackie in sunny Stoke.
Cheers Steve! Glad you’re both enjoying the videos. You picked a great place to stay with RHB, my favourite place on the coast 👍🏼
Always hugely interesting and well produced. Thank you!
Well done excellent narration, such a shame that were losing all these wonderful and irremplacable historic sites could and should have been avoided with some imagination and vision.
Really enjoyed this one as love walking around that area of Scarborough. Look forward to seeing your next videos soon.
Fascinating. I’m old enough to have enjoyed this pool, but regrettably, times change and fashions move on. Thank you for this exposition 😊
Family holiday in Scarborough my dad rented a holiday hut near swimming pool and we spent many hours playing in the pool the diving board was very scary that was in 70s
I love to see a video about Arbroath Seawater Pool. That, too, was a famous venue which had exhibitions of high board diving from Johnny Weissmuller, the Olympic Gold medallist swimmer and star of the 1932 Hollywood film, Tarzan. The old sea lidos have an amazing history and only a few, like Stonehaven, remain. I remember them so well. Great places to visit in the summer.
I'm a regular visitor to Scarborough and absolutely love the town. The council really need to mark such an historic site. Some information boards with old photos in the same locations that the photos were taken would be very interesting to visitors. Who doesn't like "now and then photos".
My thoughts exactly! It would get people talking at least. Not sure what the star map is about - just seems lazy at the time they did it.
Another great video. Sadly too young to remember it, but as you say, plenty of photos seen. Good to get more insight into the old attraction.
That was a great video I never knew Scarborough had so many outdoor entertainment venues, keep them coming .❤
Thanks for the memory prompt. Favourite family spot in the 60s. Could have been my dad on the diving board, great Yorkshire show off at diving ,swimming and cricket. Nostalgia is not what it used to be.
A more imaginative replacement for the pool could and should have been envisaged - maybe some ornamental landscaping/garden, a water feature and some historical commemoration of what was once a thriving attraction. Thank you for a very interesting video.
I totally agree Malcolm. That star map is such a half arsed effort to fill the space.
Thank you for this, it’s thanks to people like you who preserve sites and history that would otherwise be lost. 😊
Such an interesting video. I spent many holidays in Scarborough as a child, but never knew this place existed. Thank you, love your videos!
Thanks Diane. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Love the videos, keep them coming 👍🏻
I enjoyed this. I have very vague memories of swimming there when I was young, and much clearer memories of rambling around the derilict site as a teen. On one occasion we got stuck in the changing rooms for nearly 6 hours because the tide came in while we were in there!
We used to spend alot of time there as kids/ teenagers. Learnt to swim there. In hind sight with the popularity of cold water swimming it may have made a come back. We were in Penzance last year and the Jubilee Pool there is really popular and looks very similar to South Bay Pool albight smaller. Good video thankyou!
Visit Scarborough regularly and walk my dog there, never realised it was a pool. Thanks for informing me.
Great video. I can remember swimming in that pool with my dad and sister aged around 11 in 1988 I think it was. So glad i got to swim in it before it closed for good.
Great video as always. My memories of the pool in the 70s are the same as the north bay pool; Going in and getting back out again very quickly and shivering at the side for a while before repeating the process. Happy days.
What a nutty idea building that when the North Sea is exactly the same temperature and only a few metres away!
Yes it may be the same temperature as the sea but def safer for children and not so strong adult swimmers
what a stupid comment, it was built as a safer alternative to sea bathing ! .....No rocks to snag on....no rip tides.....no huge waves.....lifeguards within easy reach......
Brilliant as always,many happy holidays in Scarborough as a child……..your videos make me love it all over again ❤
I used to swim in the south bay pool as a child. I even jumped off the high diving platform aged 9/10 yrs old. Happy memories.
Thanks
Thank you so much! 🙌🏼 glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Thanks for the video Andrew 😊. We used to holiday in Scarborough at the Grand back in the 80’s when it was a Butlins hotel. I remember walking down to the South Bay pool with my parents and it was showing the signs of decay and neglect then. I suppose I’d always thought it would be repaired one day - especially now as we so often look to the past to restore what used to be. It’s so short sighted of the local council to have closed and demolished it but, with money always being short, it’s no surprise - just disappointing. I’ve been meaning to say thank you for your videos for some time as they’ve been lovely to watch and remind me of a place that I’ve always had such fond memories of. Thank you 😊
Thanks - glad you’ve enjoyed them 👍🏼
Having visited Scarborough when the pool was still there back in 2001 and visiting again last summer, I can honestly say that this area looks a lot better now than before. While it's incredibly sad to see this piece of history gone forever you do have to admit that it had become a decayed mess and would've cost far too much money to renovate and even then it wouldn't have really had any purpose for either locals or tourists.
Thought it was long before 2001 when it closed. Forget when I last used it - but must have been early 1990s.
@@macstyle2012 I meant it was still standing (barely) in 2001.
Well done , a nice film , the place I love , thank you.
Great video really enjoyed it, I love standing in places like that you can really feel the vibe from the 1000's of people from the past enjoying such a recreational outdoor space..I'm fascinated by such things and maybe one day soon we'll be able to step into the past to view them for ourselves..Keep up the good work..👍
A very enjoyable video. However it brought back a terrifying memory……It was 1950ish , Butlins holiday camp Filey , I was two. The afternoon entertainment at the pool was a man who set himself on fire as he dove from the high board. I remember very little of that holiday but that remains very vivid! Do you think that’s your Scarborough man because Filey is just down the coast?
I remember the man who did that. It was on holiday somewhere in the early 1960’s. What a strange entertainment!
Skillfully done!
Well done Andrew! Great video as always. Good to see you back, it's been a while since your last posting.
Brilliant
So many district councils need a good sorting out. Scarborough would benefit from this being reopened. Tynemouth in Northumberland likewise.
Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻
Fantastic to see you back!
As a 1950's Second World War baby boomer, holidaying in Scarborough every year to stay with my granny in Tindal St, I well remember the South Bay pool, it was an annual summer event, I still have a photo of me and my late mother sitting on this outside wall steps.
Have visited the site in recent years to remember those halcyon days. Like so much now....money and changing lifestyles alters what once was.
Thanks for remembering Andrew 👍
Cheers mate. Always enjoy reading your comments 👍🏼
well long worth the wait nice video andrew.
Smashing video as always.Nice you're back.My Lancashire (I'm from there too) grandparents went on holiday to Scarborough in the 1920s so it must've been good even though it's Yorkshire.😂
Welcome back. I hope you and your family are doing well. Enjoyed this interesting video. More please.
Cheers Nicholas 👍🏼
Great post remember many holidays there and trips to the pool.
Thanks!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Another great video, very informative. 😊
Another lovely video Andrew and such a travesty that it was allowed to happen.