Historic 18th-Century Swimming Pond in Cornwall Set for Community Restoration

A partnership of local heritage and creative groups has launched an initiative to restore a historic late-18th-century bath house and swimming pond on the Antony Estate in Cornwall, seeking to return the tidal water site to community use.

The project brings together the Carew Pole Garden Trust, Torpoint Artists Collective, and Rooted Futures, with financial support provided by the National Lottery Community Fund. The groups are taking the initial steps to clear the site, improve public access to nature, and re-establish the pool as a swimmable community space along the bank of the tidal River Lynher.

Designed by Thomas Parlby in the late 1700s, the pond and accompanying bath house were commissioned by Reginald Pole Carew after he inherited the estate and sought a dedicated place to swim. When operational, the structure featured a sunken pool inside the bath house fed directly by the pond, which was historically used by women. Over the decades, however, leaf fall from surrounding woodland accumulated into mud and humus, turning the pool into a decorative garden feature unsuitable for swimming.

Specialists from the garden trust have begun surveying the grounds to evaluate tree maintenance needs, outline dredging plans, and examine water movement through the tidal inlet. Current estate resident Sir Tremayne Carew Pole noted that returning the pond to a swimmable state and opening it to local residents has been a long-held ambition.

Beyond physical restoration, the partners intend to use the grounds for education and creative programmes. Torpoint Artists Collective will host workshops focused on nature journalling, wildlife recording, and photography. Organisers are also establishing a Friends of the Pond group and inviting nature enthusiasts, open-water swimmers, and local volunteers to submit feedback and participate in the conservation effort.

Source: BBC Science.