Walpole Bay Tidal Pool maintenance

The tidal pool at Walpole Bay in Margate will be closed temporarily, between Monday 28 April and Friday 2 May 2025. During this time, members of the public will not be permitted to enter the pool. Signs will be displayed in the surrounding area.

While the pool is closed, the water will be drained to allow routine maintenance to take place. Margate Town Deal funding will support further work being carried out, including repairs to the sluice gates and concrete steps and replacing the escape ladders. Surveys of the structure will also be carried out to inform future works.

The pool will reopen when the work is completed.

Walpole Bay Tidal Pool in Margate was built and opened in 1937. It is listed at Grade II by Historic England. The pool covers four acres and is believed to be the biggest tidal pool in the UK. The pool is 6ft deep in places and is popular with sea swimmers and beach visitors.

There is more information about the Walpole Bay Tidal Pool on the Visit Thanet website.

A number of projects are planned at Walpole Bay, as part of the £22.2m government funded Margate Town Deal. This includes new beach facilities at promenade level at Walpole Bay including a café, toilets, showers and a bookable space that can be used flexibly by the local community and others. The designs for these are currently being reviewed.

An update on the Margate Town Deal projects will be presented to the council’s Cabinet in June/July 2025, which will include timescales for project delivery. It is anticipated that the new facilities at Walpole Bay will be open to the public by summer 2026.

Bob Porter, Director of Place at Thanet District Council, said: “Walpole Bay has become a focus for coastal activities for local people and visitors to Thanet. The beach facilities planned as part of the Margate Town Deal project are key to enhancing this.

“The tidal pool provides a free to use venue for sea swimmers, so it is vital that it is fully maintained. We understand that closing the pool for a short time will be inconvenient, but it is necessary for the work to go ahead.”

An update on the wider Margate Town Deal projects in Cliftonville can be read in the Newsroom. Further information on the Margate Town Deal is available on the website.