Forgotten Victorian swimming pool hidden in the woods

Wild swimming might seem like a recent trend, especially here in Cornwall, but around 150 years ago there was a similar surge in its popularity as Victorians plunged into cold water hoping to reap the benefits for their health and vitality.

The bathing machines and changing huts that dotted the Cornish coastline may be long gone, but hidden in the woods, far from the beaches, there is a beguiling reminder of those distant days of dipping.

Nestled within a copse of trees, the Victorian swimming pool at Lanhydrock estate is the forgotten neighbour of the grand country house. Built in 1873 with privacy in mind, it is no wonder that most of the tens of thousands of visitors to the National Trust site never discover it is there.

Around 40ft long and 20ft wide, the pool has steps going down into the shallow end, and the remains of a metal frame at the deeper end - possibly where a diving board was once positioned. Originally, there was a changing hut by the steps with a high wooden wall wrapping around the side to protect the modesty of those entering the water.

The swimming pool was installed during a bathing boom in Victorian England, but it was also a time of great change at Lanhydrock. For years it would have been a secluded oasis for the family at the estate and their guests, but today it is a haven for wildlife, including palmate newts who love to bask in the warm water by the steps.

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