The Bulmore Lido, Caerleon also Bullmore Bullmoor





	Below, a busy day in the 1980s

The Bulmore Lido was situated just outside Caerleon on the Bulmore Road.

The lady on the right, Ethel Pember, worked on the old iron turnstile entrance. As people paid her, she would press her foot on a pedal, which unlocked the old heavy contraption, and allowed passage. The gate would then lock again with a clunk. Sitting on the end of the diving board is Dawn Reed a lifeguard.

Photo: Doug Burnell Higgs

Below left, the Lido in the 1950s

Sarah Harford nee Atkinson contacted us saying: "My father John Atkinson (known as Jack) was the owner. My parents were tenants of the Bell Inn from the late 50s until we went to live at the Lido in caravans which were placed at the end of the Ladies changing rooms.

At the back of the Mens changing rooms, on the left of the entrance, there used to be a club for the local gun and falconry society. My father had a bedroom behind the cash office, where he died of natural causes on 16 October 1965. I went to the Caerleon Infant and Junior Schools from 1958 to 1963 and remember Primrose Hockey when she was Headmistress of the Junior School. I would love to hear from any classmates."
sarah.harford2@btinternet.com

Text from The History of the Borough of Newport by Haydn Davis, 1998, ISBN 0 9531780 0 5
On sale in Newport Museum Shop, John Frost Square

In 1934 "a private company acquired land part of Bulmore Farm Caerleon, on which to build an open air swimming pool, cafe and restaurant. Bulmore Lido as it became well known, opened to members of the public in July and they flocked there in hundreds on clement days, travelling by specially timed omnibuses, on foot and by bicycle (motor cars were then very thin on the ground as family transport). Situated alongside the River Usk, the 8.5 acre complex comprising large adult pool and smaller children's pool with adjoining lawns, became Newport's favourite out-of-town resort, gradually relieving St Brides Lighthouse foreshore of its dubious hold on this honour. Bulmore's popularity held in varying degrees for the next 55 years until its waning fortunes finally fell victim to the changing tastes of a much more affluent, adventurous and wide-ranging society.

A few weeks after the opening of Bulmore Lido, another open air swimming pool made its debut, but although it too could he described as having similar rural aspect, it could almost he said to he within the town. Situated on the side of a wooded slope in the grounds of Alltyryn House, it was approached down a long winding path from the junction of Barrack Hill and Alltyryn View. The entrance gate was not far from the Barrack Hill omnibus terminus.

The pool, measuring 100 feet by 35 feet was placed in a dingle where the house's original spring and ornamental pools had been situated, and well may be remembered for having a very uneven (if not rocky) bottom. Fine weather at Alltyryn always seemed to bring out a permanent population of biting midges. The Lido did not survive the 1960s and is now part of Newport Borough Council's Alltyryn Wildlife Nature Footpath."

The photo above was probably taken in the early 1960s. Notice the diving boards - great fun but rarely seen in pools nowadays due to safety restrictions.
The four friends in the foreground are (left to right): Billy Morgan, Raymond Finch, Alan Hammett and Jim Blythe.

Left, advert for the Lido, 1959. This was in the Programme of Entertainments for August 1959 Caerleon Holidays at Home. To see the full programme follow this link.

Back


	Photo kindly sent to us by Pete Brown who is in the foreground with his brother, Dave, and his mother and grandmother. A great photo - taken and developed by Pete's father, Jim Brown.