The day more than 2,000 people came to the Baths

Large crowds gathering at Lymington Sea Water Baths are nothing new. In September 1834, only weeks after the new bathing establishment opened, more than 2,000 people attended a special open day.

A grand new attraction for Lymington

The new Baths were the creation of the Lymington Bath and Improvement Company, formed the previous year by a group of local businessmen and tradespeople. Their ambitions went far beyond creating somewhere to bathe. They hoped that an impressive new establishment, improved waterfront and better access would attract visitors and contribute to the prosperity of the town.

A very public beginning

The project's first stone was laid on 15 October 1833 by Admiral Sir Harry Neale. The ceremony itself gives an idea of the importance attached to the scheme. Accompanied by the Lymington Band, the managing committee, local dignitaries and shareholders processed from the Town Hall to the Quay. From there, they travelled by steamship for the final journey to the Baths.

More than 2,000 visitors

The new bathing establishment opened to the public on 14 August 1834. A little over a month later, an open day was held on 23 September. More than 2,000 people attended. The programme included an archery competition, music and a grand ball in the evening. For a project created by local tradespeople and businessmen, it was an extraordinary launch.

An ambition that survived

The company itself would later encounter serious financial difficulties. The scale and cost of the engineering work had been underestimated and the Baths eventually changed ownership. Yet the central idea survived. Almost two centuries later, this stretch of Lymington's waterfront is still shaped by the ambitions of the people who set out to improve the town in the 1830s. And the Baths they helped create remain part of Lymington's story today.

This project has been made possible with a £154,800 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.