SWIMMERS in Wiveliscombe will be able to take to the water again next month when the town’s outdoor pool opens for the new season after a £250,000 upgrade.

An official reopening ceremony will be held in early August to coincide with the start of Wivey Pool’s 100th year.

But, access will be available for the start of the swimming season on April 25, which will continue through to September 6.

The upgrade has seen a new pool house built during the winter by contractors Benjamin Henry Ltd, of Taunton, as part of a plan to make the facility ‘fit for the future’.

It was partly funded by the many supporters who took part in a 1927 swim challenge, which involved swimming 1,927 lengths, or 192.7, or 19.27 in tribute to reaching its centenary year.

The building, which has solar panels on the roof, includes accessible toilets which will be available also for anybody using the neighbouring war memorial recreation ground.

Plans for a roof terrace, which would have been accessible from the poolside, for spectators to relax and enjoy views of the pool were dropped and the building was instead made single-storey to meet heritage objections by planning officers.

The pavilion also provides a warm area for swimmers and spectators and can be used for lifesaving skills training sessions and independently of swimming as the committee which runs the pool aims to make sure it can survive for another 100 years.

Wivey Pool is a registered charity run by volunteers who depend heavily on grants and community fund-raising to maintain and improve the facilities while keeping entry fees affordable.

It is one of the oldest swimming pools in Somerset, having been first opened in August, 1927, when 200 people attended its opening.