Lymington and Pennington Town Council has been awarded a grant of £154,800 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Lymington Sea Water Baths restoration project. Made possible thanks to National Lottery players, the project aims to explore how one of the UK’s oldest surviving open-air sea water bathing sites can be protected, better understood and planned for future generations.

The grade II listed Lymington Sea Water Baths first opened in 1833 and is an important part of the town’s coastal, social and leisure heritage. Unlike many later lidos built in the 1920s and 1930s, the Baths reflect an earlier period of sea water bathing and have a distinctive character and design shaped by their coastal location. The facility remains a much-loved part of Lymington’s identity, with memories of the site shared across generations.

This initial development funding will not lead to immediate restoration construction works on site. Instead, it will allow the Town Council to carry out vital early work needed to understand the Baths properly and plan responsibly for its future.

The project will include architectural design work up to concept design stage, supported by specialist structural, engineering, environmental and heritage assessments. This will help the Council understand the condition of the site, the challenges created by its marine location and open-bottom construction, and the likely costs and options for future restoration.

A heritage review will also explore the history, significance and unique features of the Baths, including their early sea water design and historic aeration fountains. Working with local partners, the Council hopes to share the story of the Baths in an accessible and engaging way, helping more people understand why the site matters historically.

Community involvement will be central to the project. Residents, users, schools, businesses, local organisations and visitors will be invited to share their views, memories and aspirations for the future of the Baths. This engagement will help ensure that any future proposals are shaped by local people and reflect the needs of the wider community.

The project will also include a business options appraisal, looking at how the Baths could be operated and maintained sustainably in the long term. This will help the Council make informed decisions before any future capital works are considered.

The Baths will remain open while this development work takes place, so visitors can continue to enjoy swimming, inflatables, paddleboarding and more. Click here for more information about our current activities

The Mayor from Lymington and Pennington Town Council said:

“We are thrilled to have received this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can now develop our plans to better understand, protect and celebrate the Lymington Sea Water Baths.

“This is an important step, but it is also a careful one. Before any decisions are made about future restoration, we need to understand the heritage, engineering, environmental and financial issues in detail. This funding allows us to do that work properly and to involve the community in shaping the next chapter of this remarkable site.”

The Council will share further information about consultation opportunities and project updates in the coming months. Residents are encouraged to get involved, share their memories and help shape the future of this important grade II listed historical site.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.

Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.

heritagefund.org.uk

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund