Temperatures have soared in Kent this week and with plenty more spring sunshine to come, many of us are looking for ways to cool off.
When the thermometer hits 20C and above, one of the best ways to beat the heat is with a dip in a pool and one Medway lido attracts visitors from far and wide every year.
The Strand Lido in Gillingham is the only open air public pool found in the Medway towns and has a fascinating history. Now more than 120 years old, it stands as the only remaining riverside tidal saltwater pool in the country.
Owned by Medway Council, an exact date that the popular family attraction will first re-open in 2025 has been set. The Strand Lido will initially open for weekends only from Saturday May 24, just in time for the next half term break.
Following this, the pool will then be open seven days a week during the school summer holidays, which this year run from Wednesday, July 23 to Friday, August 29. Two sessions will operate each day, the first between 10.30am and 1.30pm, and the second from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
To use the pool, sessions must be booked online first before attending, with tickets priced at £7.80 for adults, £5.15 for juniors and seniors, and free entry for under 3’s.
Found on the edge of the River Medway, the lido also features a 300 metre lazy river and slides alongside its leisure pool.
At The Strand, visitors can also find a café, a mini train ride, crazy golf, children’s play areas, a parkour arena, riverside walks and free to use outdoor tennis courts. Pay and display parking is available on site, and The Strand can also be easily accessed via bus.
When the lido re-opens this May swimmers will be able to make use of a new splash pad, a fun play area kitted out with 30 jets of water. The beach-themed splash pad is replacing the existing paddling pool and will be completely free to use from 11am to 5pm when the lido is open.
(Image: Medway Council)
Children aged three to 11 years old will be able to cool off on hot summer’s day under 30 sensor-activated water jets. Standing mostly unchanged since it first opened all those years ago, the main pool remains unheated, making it ideal for a refreshing dip on a hot day.
News of the lido’s re-opening is sure to be greeted with extra enthusiasm this year as another Medway swimming pool will be shut for more than a month. Between Monday, May 19 and Monday, June 30, several areas in the Hoo Sports Centre, including the pool, will be fully closed to the public while improvement works are completed.
Visitors are advised that The Strand is cash-free and only accepts card payments. Full details on booking a slot for the Gillingham lido can be found here.
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