TRAVEL

Visit Narberth, plus six holiday cottages for garden lovers. Review of The Lido Townhouse by Katie Pike, travel stories by Rhiannon Batten

- Katie Pike and Rhiannon Batten

The Lido Townhouse, Bristol

The Clifton Victoria Baths opened on Monday 29th July 1850 at 6am.

Admission, which included two towels, cost just one shilling. The baths thrived during the beginning of the 20th century in the 1930s it was the first pool to be electrically heated in the UK and during the 1960s it was something of a 'hippie heaven', with people spending long, sunny days socialising there. It sadly closed in 1990 and had lain empty until 2008, when an impressive renovation brought it back to life as The Lido.

Today, it's celebrated as much for its cafe and restaurant as it is for its spa (which includes the original, restored pool). The menus focus on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, with relaxed tapas served in the downstairs cafe and delicate - and delicious - à la carte in the upstairs restaurant, where you can watch swimmers while feasting on Devonshire scallops in garlic butter and slow-roasted saltmarsh lamb.