Health Hydro

The Restoration

Watch our short film about the next phase of the restoration project here.

The Vision

This ambitious regeneration project will breathe new life into one of Swindon’s most remarkable historic buildings and create a unique community health and wellbeing hub.

It will also spearhead the ongoing revitalisation of the Railway Village, helping to promote Swindon as a place of historic interest worth visiting. This project is about more than the Grade II* built heritage. In addition to restoring this impressive building, we aim to restore the purpose of the place, giving a contemporary expression to its original ethos.

We will make the Health Hydro the focal point of a healthier Swindon. A place which will inspire and empower all residents to make more informed and healthier choices for themselves and their families – choices about physical activity, diet, medical care, environment, lifestyle and mental health. The measure of its success is not just longer life expectancy, but longer healthy life expectancy – the length of time that people spend in good health. The Health Hydro will add life to years, as well as years to life.

The Story so Far

Planning the restoration of the Health Hydro began in 2018 when Swindon Borough Council, owners of the Hydro, commissioned a feasibility study and options approval to consider various options for its future. This was supported by Greenwich Leisure (Better) who operate the Hydro, the Health Hydro Action Group (a precursor to the Friends of the Health Hydro), local swim clubs, Swindon Heritage Preservation (formerly known as the Mechanics’ Institution Trust), Council planning and conservation officers and Historic England.

It was widely supported that the Health Hydro should be restored and redeveloped to enable it to continue to serve the health and wellbeing needs of its local communities today.

Work towards this project began in earnest in 2021. Given the scale of the challenge and funding required to restore the entire Health Hydro, the works have been carefully planned to be delivered in phases.

Each phase aims to build towards realising the full vision which is inspired by the Health Hydro’s history as a pioneering health and wellbeing service – putting into practice Swindon’s motto: ‘Salubritas Et Industria’ (Health and Industry).

The Health Hydro closed its doors in March 2023 for the first phase of works (due to be completed in early 2026), with over £9m funding from Swindon Borough Council, the Towns Fund, Historic England, Better and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

This work, delivered by local contractors EW Beard, includes repairs and conservation to the building’s facade on Faringdon Road, conversion of the former Washing Baths Hall into a new entrance, reception and fitness suite, new accessible changing facilities, and new services infrastructure.

During this time a further community consultation has taken place to inform the activities that will deliver public benefit during the restoration and beyond.

Parts of the building will reopen in early 2026 following this work.

The Next Phase

In 2023, The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded a Development Phase grant of £409k to fund early investigations and design development to work towards the restoration of the Main Pool Hall, as well as towards providing interpretation to tell the story of the Health Hydro and a three-year programme of activities to draw people into the building and engage them with its heritage.

The Main Pool Hall restoration is expected to cost £10.5m. A fundraising campaign is underway to secure grants and donations, including a Delivery Phase grant application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund. If the target can be reached within the planned schedule, work will be carried out during 2027.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage.

The Health Hydro restoration is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to begin early work towards the restoration of the Main Pool Hall phase of the project.

The Future

In time, we will transform the rest of this vast building to create an extensive community health and wellbeing hub, helping to address significant health inequalities in Swindon.

These later phases will include the dry-side areas of the building, the Small Pool Hall, Turkish Baths and Dispensary.