The town of Droitwich Spa is situated on vast deposits of salt, which has been extracted there for centuries. The town’s natural brine contains 2½ lbs of salt per gallon – ten times stronger than sea water and rivalled only by the Dead Sea.

When the Droitwich Spa Lido originally opened in 1935, diluted brine was pumped from local streams and was used to keep the pool aseptic, without the need for additional chemicals. The lido was heated to the exact temperature of the Mediterranean Sea and was marketed as the ‘seaside of Droitwich Spa’. The Mediterranean feel was spoken of in the press at the time.

The lido permanently closed its doors in the autumn of 2000. However it continued to be a popular tourist attraction. Even after its closure people still travelled for miles to see the once bustling open air pool. In April 2005, the people of Droitwich Spa held a parish poll in which 98% voted in favour of restoring the lido. Following this, SALT (Save a Lido Today) worked with the District and Town councils to restore the Lido to a working condition.

In the summer of 2007, the Lido reopened with a newly refurbished pool. The water still benefits from a natural brine feed and the original 1930s fascia was left intact.