End of an era (From Barry And District News)

End of an era

IT'S the end of an era as Barry bids a mournful farewell to what was once the jewel in the town's crown.

The well-loved Knap Lido has been filled with concrete and is lost to future generations for good as part of the Vale of Glamorgan Council's plans to landscape the site.

Packed every summer from its 1927 opening until the doors closed for the last time in 1997, the open-air pool gave thousands of visitors hours of pleasure.

Swimmers who braved Cold Knap's bracing waters will grieve the loss of this popular spot.

But during its lifetime the Knap was more than just a tourist attraction. The Lido's construction was a valuable source of employment during the Depression, part of the Out of Work Government initiative to create labour. To a town suffering from a downturn in the coal trade, the Lido was a key part of Barry's plan to become a resort town.

Packed with historical appeal, like the turnstiles, tiled footbaths and brightly-coloured changing huts, the Knap Lido was one of the few left in South Wales.

But it fell to rack and ruin after it shut. The pool and surrounding buildings deteriorated. And the pump house and mechanical workings were in a state of disrepair.

Despite public outrage, it was decided by the local authority that the Lido, pavilions, pump house and surrounding buildings should be demolished. Although there was concern the prime site would be sold to property developers, the council has turned the area into a public open space.

A spokesman said: "We are delighted to be able to allow people access during the summer months along the new footpath and hope that the public appreciate that we need to protect planted and grassed areas to help their establishment.

"A formal opening of the full open space will be organised when the planting and grassed areas are established."