HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OF TROWBRIDGE SWIMMING CLUB

Trowbridge Swimming Club has been in existence since 1939. Little is known about its early history, but we do know that its activities were centered around the town’s open air swimming pool, which was located on the site where the present TESCO store now stands.

Up until 1990, the Club continued to use the open air pool during summer months, as a supplement to teaching and training sessions at Bradford-on-Avon swimming pool and at the old Clarendon School pool. Whereas Bradford pool is 25 metres in length and the old Clarendon pool was 17 metres long, the much larger 33 1/3 yards Trowbridge outdoor pool provided good stamina training when the weather allowed. There had been talk of a roof being put on to the outdoor pool - the walls had even been strengthened for this purpose. In the event however, and after much controversary, the land was sold to TESCO for the build of the current TESCO superstore, and the outdoor pool was demolished. One of the last functions to take place in the outdoor pool was the celebration of Trowbridge Swimming Club’s 50th birthday in 1989.

With the demolition of the outdoor pool, the Club initially continued to use Bradford-on-Avon and Clarendon pools for teaching and training sessions. This was supplemented in the mid 90s by a further training session negotiated with Dauntsey’s School, West Lavington, for the use of their 25 metre pool one night a week. This was to provide additional pool time, mainly for our senior and squad swimmers.

The Club therefore had no option but to use swimming facilities outside its own home town in order to keep swimming and training sessions up to acceptable levels. This arrangement was not ideal, but despite the problems caused by this geographic split and the occasional communication difficulties, the Club managed to survive.

Reliance on the use of the Bradford-on-Avon and Dauntsey’s swimming pools outside Trowbridge became absolute when Clarendon pool closed to make way for the construction of the present six lane 25 metre pool in the grounds of Clarendon School. This was completed in late 1996, alongside the old 17 metre pool which was not retained, but was filled in with earth during the construction of the present pool. However it is still visible and recognisable as the original pool.

With the construction of the new pool at Clarendon, Trowbridge Swimming Club had, for the first time, a standard 25 metre facility which it could use permanently and call its own. Although sessions still take place at Bradford and Dauntsey’s pools, the majority of swimming sessions take place at the new facility at Clarendon.
Since its construction, Clarendon pool has served as a much needed focus for the Club and somewhere it at last could call home. Since then the Club has gone from strength to strength.