Once Sandford Parks Lido, the newly minted Cheltenham Lido is readying itself for the 2025 summer season under a new name, with enhanced facilities and some significant improvements to its historic car park.
Celebrating its 90th birthday in 2025, the lido continues to be a hotspot for Cheltenham residents and visitors looking for a cool dip during heatwaves or a polar plunge during its Christmas Day Swim — and they'll be glad to see the new season brings a whole host of improvements to their experience.
Some of the changes include the return of the featured pedestrian walkway from Keynsham Road to the main gates, offering a dedicated and safe route for those visiting on foot, as well as cyclists, who can now make use of newly installed CCTV-monitored cycle racks.
Swimmers now have a designated queuing area, too, providing shade and safety from moving vehicles within the car park.
Seven disabled parking spaces have also been relocated closer to the entrance to improve accessibility.
Cheltenham Lido's car park adjustments are bold steps towards becoming more sustainable as well, with the addition of eight EV charging points — increasing to 14 in the future — and four large carports covering 70 car parking spaces.
Solar panels installed on top of the carports will produce up to 93 per cent of the lido's current electricity usage to help reduce its carbon footprint and manage its operating costs.
Further parking updates include a complete resurfacing of the car park, an expanded layout to increase public parking from 119 to 143 spaces and a more intuitive design to improve traffic flow and convenience.
The accessibility enhancements continue with a new cafe ramp, fully accessible shower facilities and improved visibility markings for those with visual impairments, ensuring an exceptional experience for all visitors — the seating areas, landscaping and poolside facilities have also had a significant spruce up.
Guests can test out the new and improved Cheltenham Lido for themselves when it opens for the 2025 season from Saturday 29 March 2025.
For more information, visit cheltenhamlido.co.uk.
