| Bude Sea Pool | |
|---|---|
 2016 photo | |
 | |
| 50°49′57″N4°33′14″W / 50.832637°N 4.553809°W | |
| Location | Summerleaze Beach, Bude, Cornwall, England |
| Opened | 1930 |
| Type | tidal, seawater, lido |
| Status | ENV2, Open areas of local significance |
| Length | 290 feet (88 m) |
| Width | 140 feet (43 m) |
| Website | Bude Sea Pool |
Bude Sea Pool is a partially man-made tidal swimming pool or lido in the rocks at Summerleaze Beach, Bude, Cornwall. [1]
In 1930, the Thynne family[ Is this the family of the Marquis of Bath? ] put up half the money to create the pool and its sunbathing terraces. [2] [3]
Its size is 290 × 140 feet (88 × 43 m; approximate dimensions, as the pool is not symmetrical) with an area of about 3,500 m2. The volume is about 4,000 m3 or 880,000 gallons, depending on how much sand the sea washes in.
RNLI and the Bude Surf Lifesaving Club use the pool for training and exams.
The pool is open 365 days a year, but only lifeguarded by RNLI during high seasons. On 19 October 2010 BBC Cornwall reported [4] that the pool may face funding cuts as part of Cornwall Council's spending review. The possibility of cuts has drawn significant levels of protest from residents of Bude and beyond. [5] [6] [7]
The Friends of Bude Sea Pool, a volunteer charity organisation, was formed in May 2011. The group aims to preserve, improve and enhance the sea pool as an amenity for the benefit of the community and visitors to the town. [8]
The Bude Sea Pool on Summerleaze Beach offers safe bathing in seawater. It can be a bit seaweedy and quite deep in parts but it is free of strong currents and big waves, and is patrolled by life guards for much of the summer.
