A HUGE pleasure lake an hour from London features stunning art-deco diving boards – but they are not actually allowed to be used as swimming is banned.
Coate Water , in Swindon, features a diving platform that towers into the sky.
Originally built in 1935, the structure now stands in the unused
The park dates back to the 1820s, when it was first created as a feeder for the Wilts and Berks Canal.
However it didn’t take long before members of the local community saw it as a potential where they could enjoy fishing, boating and ice skating in the winter.
In the 1930s, the Borough Council transformed the park, adding new facilities including an art-deco style pool and the diving platform.
But by 1958, swimming at Coate Water was deemed unsafe due to health and safety concerns and the diving platform was abandoned.
Over the decades the landmark fell into disrepair and the steps were blocked off to deter vandals and thrill-seekers.
Then in 2013, the platform received a Grade II status as one of only four surviving interwar concrete in the UK, and the only one in a lake.
Elsewhere in the park there is some opportunity for water play though, thanks to a large splash park.
It that has recently undergone a £475,000 upgrade and is expected to reopen on May 23, with a sign at the site stating “get your bathing suits ready”;;.
The has a sloped design to also accommodate wheelchair users.
It has interactive wet zones and a
A large car park is also located a short walk away, as well as Coate Water Cafe for refreshments.
A traditional pub – The Sun Inn – is close too, with casual dining, a and a
For those who fancy a walk, there is a path that goes around Coate Water, ideal for or enjoying the sun.
A range of wildlife, including rare birds, can be spotted at the 56-acre park and can be hired.
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