Work has started to restore a Co Down former Victorian sea-filled pool.
The Ladies Bathing Pool, based at Skippingstone Beach, close to Bangor's Pickie Fun Park , was once a popular attraction along the coastal path during the late 1980s and early 1900s.
But it ceased to be used around the 1940s and has fallen into disrepair over the years.
Now, new railings, hand rails and a new sea ladder have been installed after the Dash and Splash swimming group started a campaign to raise awareness about this part of Bangor’s coastline.
Scott Riley, of Causeway Living, heads the group and organises weekly 30-minute runs along Bangor’s coastal path which culminate with a dip in the sea at Skippingstone Beach .
It’s this group which has been instrumental in commencing the restoration of the Victorian pool.
They were determined to return the sea-filled pool to its former glory so the members hatched a plan and applied for a Live Here Love Here grant. A total of £4,250 was awarded in August and with the help of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Head of Regulatory Services, Stephen Addy, sheer determination saw the dedicated community group overcome all obstacles to start sprucing up the area.
As well as the new installations, three community beach cleans have helped to remove excess shingle and weeds from the pool.
Team Dash and Splash is hoping that this is just a first step in returning the Victorian sea-filled pool to its former glory. With additional funding, they intend to add shelter and benches for bathers, as well as reinstate the pool’s retaining wall to ensure it’s possible to swim regardless of tide times, making it a fantastic asset for the local community and visitors to the town.
"Ards and North Down Borough Council has supported the Live Here Love Here scheme since 2014,” said Stephen Addy, Head of Regulatory Services.
"Funding from the Recycling Community Investment Fund (RCIF) has provided a significant increase to finances available for local environment projects such as this one."
The RCIF was established as a ‘thank you’ to residents for their recycling efforts. It costs the Council half as much to recycle waste compared to the cost of sending it to landfill and almost £15m has been saved in landfill costs since the programme’s inception.
"A portion of these savings are diverted to the RCIF and all funding provided by RCIF to Live Here Love Here is ring-fenced for use in environmental projects for our Borough.
"It’s helping to bring old parts of Bangor and surrounding areas back to life and that’s only possible thanks to the recycling efforts of local residents and businesses."
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