Lido guide: Sea Lanes Brighton

Author of The Lido Guide Emma Pusill heralds the opening of a brand new 50m open air pool – the long-awaited Sea Lanes Brighton.

Since the 18th century Brighton has been a magnet for beach-goers, but not since 1978 and the closure of the gloriously art deco Blackrock Lido has it had an open air pool.

This summer, all that has changed with the opening of Sea Lanes Brighton. Brand-new 50m pools are a rare enough occurrence in the UK, the opening of a brand-new lido is even rarer – the last to be built was in the 1990s and that was originally a school pool. Before that there had only been a mere handful in the post-war years.  

The opening of Sea Lanes, a brand-new, 50m lido is, therefore, a cause for huge celebration on so many fronts. Brighton, of course, will benefit from this sleek facility idyllically located right on the shingle shore. Sea Lanes regenerates a previously neglected site and with the associated ‘village’ of hospitality and other businesses the potential wider regeneration of this end of Brighton sea-front looks rosy. 

Sea Lanes also resets the dial on the model under which lidos are funded and operated. This is, the team behind it believe, the first privately funded 50m pool (never mind 50m lido) to have been built. In the current economic climate I think it is likely that we will not see much public money being made available to build brand new lidos in the short to medium term. So the lido sector, while recognising the huge boost that the creation of Sea Lanes gives, will be watching with bated breath and seeking to learn what it can from this exciting new approach. 

Unashamedly a training pool

Because it is privately funded, Sea Lanes is not buffered against the true cost of running a pool by any public subsidy and its emphasis on running low user density lane swimming is, arguably, an income limiting model. That, inevitably, translates to the ticket price – £11 for a casual swim. At the press launch day there was a lot of chatter amongst the coffee drinkers about that price point and it will, inevitably, put swimming here out of reach for some. The monthly memberships, however, are excellent value and as a result are sold out so if you’re local keep your eyes on the Sea Lanes socials for any reopening of membership sales. 

Families may also find themselves disappointed as currently there are no plans to offer family/fun swim sessions and the water temperature is geared to training – high teens to low twenties celsius. But this is unashamedly a training pool that lies at the heart of a facility that identifies as the National Open Water Swimming Centre. The pool design includes very little surrounding pool deck for sunbathing and swimmers will definitely need to look to the beach beyond for lounging and the Sea Lanes ‘village’ for post-swim refreshment – of which there is plentiful choice and a glorious roof terrace with spectacular views. In a town that already offers so much beach side fun to families it is hard to hold the commitment to lane swimming against Sea Lanes – not least as they plan to open year-round. 

Facilities for sea swimmers

Sea swimmers are also catered for in line with the free sea ethos that most of us love. Sea Lanes provides beachside cold showers, so you can desalinate before heading for a coffee, and free to use lockers are also provided beachside – just bring a padlock. 

Swimmers with restricted mobility will be pleased to know that the site is accessible and there is a hoist, but the recessed vertical steps out of the tank will be difficult for some users with moderate mobility issues who might not wish to use a hoist.

So, is Sea Lanes perfect? No. Is it still an amazing training venue that heralds a potentially sustainable way forward for increased building of brand new lidos? Absolutely. And for that reason this is an absolute must for a lido road trip. Save your pennies and make a weekend of it by visiting Pells Pool in Lewes as well.

Photos: David Hughes Photography