Just days left to save Yorkshire Swim Works

Yorkshire Swim Works hopes to raise £65,000 to turn the former Victorian-built water treatment works on Thornton Moor into a self-sustaining centre for outdoor activity and outdoor swimming

Yorkshire Swim Works CIC has launched a crowdfunding campaign to turn the former Victorian-built water treatment works on Thornton Moor into a self-sustaining centre for outdoor activity and outdoor swimming.

They hope to raise £65,000 to buy the proposed site, which is being sold at auction on 12 July. They are currently just over halfway to their target.

Thornton Moor Water Treatment Works was one of the major filtration sites for water that fed the local area. It has been derelict for over two decades and has fallen into a state of disrepair.

The site sits at the intersection of a number of major walking and cycling routes including the Brontë Way and the Millennium Way. decades and has fallen into a state of disrepair. According to Yorkshire Swim Works, the auctioning of the site is a is a “…truly unique opportunity to do something magical in our beautiful part of West Yorkshire. We would be upset if it was sold to a property developer for housing.”

As set out in their details of the project on their crowdfunding page, naturally filtered swimming pools will be at the heart of the project, as will be a sauna, cafe, community room and office space for rent or for local sports clubs to use for free.

There will also be lodges on site for overnight stays to ensure the financial sustainability of the site whilst delivering affordable swimming opportunities for the local community. The fundraisers believe that will the project will be “a catalyst for local clubs to work together and encourage more people to get out and enjoy the beautiful moor on their doorsteps.”

There are only a few days left to donate to the Crowdfunder: click here to donate.

Images: Planit

Sign up to our newsletter for more outdoor swimming news.