History of Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool

If you’re of a certain age you might remember the open air baths at South Shore. They’re an important part of the history of Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool! Let’s take a look back in time, to Miss World competitions and sea water swimming…

But first, here’s a walk-around video of that part of the seafront.

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Open Air Baths to Blackpool’s Water Park

Here at Live Blackpool we remember the baths well, but more about that later. Look at this old, grainy photo of the site in the 1970s. And here’s another memory, we think it’s a view from the Monorail at the Pleasure Beach!

When you know what shape the baths were, you can see how today’s Sandcastle sits in the same footprint.

Of course this wasn’t the only well known swimming pool in Blackpool. Along with the smaller local pools there was also the well known but indoor Derby Baths. At North Shore this popular pool was used for competitions and television shows. You’d have found it where the Grand Hotel now stands.

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Remember the Open Air Baths at South Shore?

Many thanks as ever to Mr Nick Moore’s fascinating History of Blackpool which gives us more information.

Blackpool’s open air baths held its first swimming gala when it opened on 9 June 1923 to coincide with Blackpool Carnival week.

A smaller children’s pool next to the big pool catered for kids. Raked seating overlooked the pool from the seaward side. The changing rooms flanked the landward side of the site.

It was incredibly popular during the summer. On warm days the water was always packed with swimmers and the seats with spectators. As a venue for events, beauty contests were a regular, very popular feature. The enormous building had a huge capacity, with space for 8000 spectators, 5000 of which could be seated. A whopping 1500 bathers could be accommodated in the pool.

Part of Blackpool’s History

South Shore Open Air Baths official name was South Promenade Bathing Pool. It’s everyday name was usually South Shore Baths.

Modelled on the Coliseum in Rome it cost more than £750,000 to build! A colossal amount of money back then. The building formed an amphitheatre. A stunning building when new, with all the outside faced in white Faience brick from Shaw’s of Bolton. That’s the same stone that you see on many Blackpool buildings, including the Winter Gardens.

The D shaped pool was 376 feet long x 170 feet wide. It filled with 1,600,000 gallons of sea water. The pumping equipment filtered the sea water and could fill it at 75,000 gallons per hour.

Did you know? The 1924 British Olympic swimming trials were hosted here for the 1928 games. Water Polo matches were also held here.

An area could be partitioned off for swimming events. There were seven diving boards and under them the water was 15 feet deep. Divers had a choice of springboards, firm boards and a high board – which at 10m high swayed on windy days!

Take a look at this video clip from the BFI archives of the 1928 swimming and diving trials –

A Place for Beautiful People!

Many Beauty Queen competitions were held here, and the baths even had a purpose built Pageant platform. It might seem inappropriate today, but these beauty parades are part of the history of Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool.

Did you know? The Open Air Baths was used for scenes in the 1934 musical ‘Sing as We Go’ starring Gracie Fields?

By the end of the 1930s, visitors to South Shore Baths had totalled over nine million people. They enjoyed the coffee bars in each wing and three undercover cafes, between 7am and 9pm on weekdays and 8am to 8.30pm on Sundays.

Memories of South Shore Baths

As the author of this article, I clearly remember going to the open air baths at South Shore when we were in Blackpool on holiday. In the 1970s, I was a child of about seven or eight. I was also a strong swimmer too – practically living in our local swimming baths.

I clearly remember the changing rooms under the overhang – cool and mysterious. Then you came out into the sunshine and noise of the pool and an afternoon of fun! No matter how strong a swimmer I was though, I just didn’t like going into the big pool.

It might be the memory of a young mind, but I recall the deep water having the same bluey-green depths to it that our sea has now on a sunny day. It wasn’t clear and transparent to the bottom like a normal swimming baths. I knew the water was pumped in from the sea. And because I couldn’t see to the bottom, nothing would convince me that it didn’t contain seaweed and jellyfish! So I looked longingly at the deep cool water where I could have enjoyed a really good swim and instead made-do with splashing about in the children’s pool!

The End of the Open Air Baths

Let’s face it, the Great British Weather isn’t the best for open air swimming pools!

As people’s tastes changed, the popularity of open air swimming began to fade. South Shore Baths finally closed to the public in 1981, to be demolished in February 1983. The next chapter was about to unfold – the building of Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool.

Building the Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool

Thanks to our friends at the Sandcastle for these photos taken during construction.

There’s something missing from the skyline in the next photo. Doesn’t it look very different without the Big One at the Pleasure Beach!

The New Sandcastle Waterpark

The Sandcastle Waterpark opened on 23 June 1986. The building is owned, and was previously managed, by Blackpool Council.

The new entertainment complex had a public house on the first floor called the Crow’s Nest (later renamed Bedlams night club).

Then in 1991, the dry side of the complex was made over into a version of The Crystal Maze. It was a popular TV game at the time. Another TV show came to town in 1996 when the World of Coronation Street visitors centre opened.

On 2 August 2001 the Grosvenor Casino opened, and is still there today.

Did you know? On 13 November 2014 Sandcastle Waterpark won the record for the most people down a water slide in one hour. 289 people to be precise!

Sandcastle Water Park Blackpool Today

It’s now one of the most popular attractions in Blackpool. Each year thousands of people flock there to enjoy the slides and rides, the spa and birthday parties.

• Find out more about the Sandcastle Waterpark today

We went along to the preview event when the Sandcastle reopened in summer 2020. It had been closed for several months, because of the coronavirus pandemic. But it was a great chance to have a good look around and show you the inside – without getting wet!

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A sad day for Blackpool ☹️

On 10 June 2022 the Sandcastle Waterpark waved goodbye to Managing Director John Child. He’s been at the helm for a whopping 25 years, having worked there for 36 years – a whole career lifetime.

It marks the start of a new chapter at the popular Blackpool attraction – known well for its accessibility under John’s leadership. Sandcastle has spearheaded access for all and environmentally sound business practices. Proving that you can run a business in an ethical way.

We went along to Johns leaving do to say goodbye and catch a short interview before he left. Of course we also took the chance to catch a peep inside the quiet and closed venue while we were there. Good luck John!

Merlin takes over Sandcastle Waterpark

In August 2022 Blackpool Council awarded a new contract to one of the world’s biggest entertainment companies which saw Merlin take over the Sandcastle Water Park, effective from September 2022. The management contract is provisionally for a two-year period.

Merlin Entertainments is a global leader in location-based entertainment. They’ve been successful in a tender application to become managing agent for the Council-owned waterpark at South Beach. The attraction is the UK’s largest indoor waterpark, with over 18 fantastic slides and attractions in a tropical 84 degree climate. It joins Merlin’s seven other attractions in Blackpool including The Blackpool Tower, Madame Tussauds Blackpool and SEA LIFE Blackpool.

The acquisition of the Sandcastle Waterpark Blackpool supports Merlin’s strategy to establish clusters of attractions in key strategic locations. It further expands its offering within Blackpool, following the opening of Peter Rabbit Explore & Play and Gruffalo Clubhouse.