Dear Subscriber,

On site, the past month has all been about fish! We’ve also been gearing up towards the annual Heritage Open Days with the help of a team of volunteers, to create a covid-friendly event in partnership with Bathscape which everyone can try!

Our people

This month, we’d like to introduce Zoe Williams who has been helping coordinate all things Heritage Open Days.

When we asked why she’s decided to volunteer with us, this is what she said:

“A Londoner born and bred, the lure of verdant countryside was always at the front of my mind as the weekends approached and I would jump in the car to escape to green pastures when I could. With a love for outdoor swimming from an early age in the coves and sandy beaches of Cornwall, I was always on the lookout for a less frantic place to bring up our children. Bath hit the spot. We moved to Bath 8 years ago and never looked back.

When I first read about the Pools I was fascinated and relieved! As a family, we all love to swim outdoors and having enjoyed Lido swimming in London I was surprised not to find one here in Bath, given its historic connection to the waters. How wrong I was! I finally visited the Pools in all their glory at a heritage event last year and was utterly smitten.

Since seeing the Pools last year, I have kept abreast of developments and it only seemed sensible for me to get involved any way that I could to support a project that is so dear to my heart and is a venture that will benefit me, our family, and our friends. Recently I have been coordinating activities for the Heritage Open Day on the 12th September - I hope many of you will stop by our stall in Sydney Gardens!

I feel honoured to be able to be a small part of helping to raise the profile of this stunning and bewitching spot and to help with the progress of bringing these historic Pools back to life for use by everyone.”

Emptying the Pools!

An unusual challenge on the road to restoration – fish! Over the years a small population has entered the pools via floodwaters and then become trapped in the pools, where it seems they have thrived! In August we had to drain the pool to check the structural lining. Before we could complete this, a total of 500 roach and perch were given a health check and then relocated to a range of ecologically suitable locations nearby. Thanks to APEM Limited, the Environment Agency, Bath Canal and River Trust and the Bathampton Angling Association for their truly collaborative effort. We hope the fish will be very happy in their new homes!

Heritage Open Day at Sydney Gardens

A date for your diaries – Saturday 12th September. We’re teaming up with Bathscape Walking Festival to bring you a self guided walking tour through the lesser-known Bathwick backwaters and along the Kennet and Avon canal to reach the secretive site of Cleveland Pools. When they re-open, the pools will be accessed almost entirely on foot or by bike or boat so this sense of discovery is all part of the experience and we’d love your feedback. We will be in Sydney Gardens between 12 and 4pm so come and pick up a map and guide, walk the route and let us know what you think.

Photo by Rhian Wirtz

Building works

We are working with the National Lottery Heritage Fund to make plans for the next stage of the project - starting on site! Covid-19 has impacted things, both from a cost and time perspective so we are reviewing our plans to ensure we start construction with our best foot forward.

Fundraising

We were delighted to receive a generous donation from local business Roper Rhodes last week. It's wonderful to have a local company investing in the community and supporting local projects.

We are still fundraising though, so if you’d like to make a donation (large or small!) we would be very grateful. Please follow this link: https://bit.ly/2MxFkhv

Stay safe, and do please stay in touch.