Site of Deganwy bathing pool
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Houses near this section of Deganwy promenade stand on the site of the Llandudno-Deganwy Bathing Pool complex – so popular it had seating for up to 10,000 people!
The pool was built in 1934 as a commercial venture by R Arthur Jones, a local auctioneer and estate agent. It was a venue for swimming galas and diving competitions.
Underwater lighting shone through portholes around the sides. There were floodlights for evening bathing and fountains each end of the pool. Indoor facilities included a dance hall with sprung floor. Many clubs were based at the complex.
The pool was large, 64 by 30 metres (210 x 100 feet), with racing division lines at the bottom. It was filled with 3,700 litres (800 gallons) of water from the Irish Sea which was filtered and chlorinated. The pool had a 5-metre diving board, two 1-metre springboards and a 3-metre springboard, all above 3 metres of water. There were two small chutes for children, one full-size chute and 1,000 lockers in two changing blocks.
In 1937 Mr Jones put forward development plans for the bathing pool. He gained planning permission for an eight-storey hotel around the pool and a separate apartment block. The plans included an air-raid shelter and a shadow hospital, to supplement regular hospitals if needed. The Second World War intervened and the hotel was never built.
After Mr Jones’ death, the pool was sold to Arthur Brown of Deganwy, owner of the Brown’s Radio shop in Llandudno. Through the 1950s the pool hosted “Bathing Beauty” contests, with famous faces of the time acting as judges. The pool closed in the late 1960s and the land was sold for housing development.
Many of the detached houses around Deganwy Road, Hawes Drive and Bryn Gosol were built by Mr Jones. He employed well-known architects including Herbert Luck North, whose Arts & Crafts houses can be seen on Deganwy Road.
With thanks to Vicky Macdonald of Deganwy History Group