Ruislip Lido History

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What we all today know as Ruislip Lido started life in 1811 as Ruislip Reservoir and was built as a feeder for the Grand Junction Canal, later, in 1933, to become the Grand Union Canal (Company), and thus our nearest canal being known by the name it has today.

The area selected was initially a shallow valley flanked by Park Wood to the south and a now non-existent hamlet of Park Herne to the "north", where the latter was demolished to make way for the reservoir as it was built. The whole area of the "lido" covers a little over 150 acres and the area of water itself can best be described, as "pear shaped", somewhat appropriately perhaps, for reason that follow.

John Rennie was the main engineer working on the construction, Hugh Mackintosh the constructor. On 5th December 1811 the project was announced as complete, by Rennie, and fears of problems with it leaking due to a sandy bed were not founded.

Those familiar with the geography of the area will realise that the canal is actually some distance from Ruislip and this required a channel to be made to feed the water from the reservoir to where it was to enter the canal at Hayes, some seven miles long. Exiting the reservoir in an underground pipe to the "west" the channel passes, generally, under Bury Street, under Ladygate Lane and on towards Tile Kiln Lane, whereupon the route is less clear until it surfaces again in Austins Lane, Ickenham. From here it runs into the fields adjacent to Northolt aerodrome and then under the A40 almost in parallel with the Yeading Brook (having already, at some point "crossed" the River Pinn). Once under the A40 it entered the waste land opposite Northolt Aerodrome, again with the Yeading Brook for company, before making its way to Yeading and then on down to Hayes, entering the canal at Hayes Bridge. The full length of the feeder no longer exists and parts of it were built on in the 1970's, fear of flooding these properties is thought to be the reason why the water level in the Lido, since 1990, has been kept artificially low, another thought is that by having lower levels should there be extensive rain in the area water can be diverted to the Lido from Northwood and alleviate flooding there.

You can read all about the route of the feeder from the Lido to Ickenham on this excellent page written by Paul Turner who has painstakingly traced it and photographed it.

It is thought that the feeder first ran in water in 1816. The feeder was man made and did not use, or make use of, any water from any natural waterways. However, what it did do was collect local floodwater and this turned out to be polluted and contaminated both the canal and local drinking water supplies. The whole concept of this reservoir being used to supply water to the canal was scrapped in 1851, so it lasted only 35 years in the guise of the purpose for which it was built. Today the canal is fed by the River Colne and, nearer the Thames at Brentford, the River Brent and so the reservoir is no longer needed. Indeed, the canal could have been fed from these rivers right from the outset were it not for the local millers who did not want water diverted from them to the canal. Hence the reservoir was only constructed to appease their wishes.

In 1933, when the Grand Union Canal Company was merged with the Grand Junction Canal Company work began to develop the area as a Lido, it already having been used for skating (when frozen) and swimming in the 1920s. A modern main building was built in the art-deco style 1936 by George W Smith and a swimming area constructed in the reservoir in front of this, which was done by laying a concrete base in (under) the water flanked on either side by piers is a "horseshoe" shape. The main building itself contained, principally, a cafeteria, the buildings either side of it housed on one side the turnstile and ticket area and on the other side changing rooms. In May 1936 the Lido was formally opened by the Earl of Howe.

The Lido was a success. In the 1970's was to become a victim of its own success. Attractions during its heydays include rowing boats, motor boats, paddle boats, children's playground, a beach (latterly having a fenced off swimming area), miniature railway and Ruislip Lido became renown as a water skiing area, with the world championships being televised from there. It was also used as a set for various films including The Young Ones with Cliff Richard (and Summer Holiday?) and the Titanic sank in there in the film A Night to Remember, and it is possible that one scene from "Oh What a Whopper" was filmed there. In the sixties and seventies during balmy summer days the Lido was heaving with people coming there from all over West London.

In the 1970's the then council realised that the Lido was a valuable assets and decided to increase admission charges out of all proportion to what they had been previously. People stopped coming. One by one all the traders left, unable to make ends meet with the reduced numbers attending. The skiing left, the rowing boats, the ice cream vendors and the swimming stopped. The place began to get very rundown. Then the council realised that the person being paid to collect money from those entering the Lido was not even collecting the cost of their own salary, and so scrapped the charge, by then it was too late, the Lido was finished as a major attraction. The council, realising this added a new major attraction that would pull people in from all around London, a giant chess set with pieces two feet tall! The pieces quickly ended up being lobbed in and that was the end of that. So the Lido became an afternoon stroll, with no attractions except the miniature railway and the litter strewn beach. At its peak the 158 buses which ran there were so full extra ones were laid on, this was replaced by the 114 with "a lido extension at certain times", but by now this had been withdrawn. Worse was to come when in 1993 the main building was damaged by fire and knocked down in 1994. The old Lido was gone - for good.

The Lido, today, has seen something of a comeback. The main building that was razed to the ground has been replaced by a pub/restaurant, The Waters Edge, the miniature railway is flourishing having been extended and now runs from one side all the way to the other, previously it was just a small figure of eight, now rides serve a real purpose. The children's playground has been regenerated and you can once again buy an ice cream or have a cup of tea in the shop run by the same volunteers that run the railway. But there hangs the rub, volunteers. The Lido, from being a thriving business, is now "run" by volunteers. It stands today as a poor relation to the old one, before greed got in to the heads of those that managed it. It still makes a superb walk on a pleasant day, it still is an area of outstanding beauty given its proximity to London, and the railway is better than it has every been. At weekends it is popular as a picnic area, free to get in and with some attractions people still make the effort. But the crowds around the swimming area are gone, replaced by Canada Geese, and piles of their droppings, the rowing boats have gone, as have the paddle boats and the crazy golf. Local children have, today, been robbed of a small part of their growing up.


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