Wentworth Woodhouse: Pool users share memories before demolition

Users of a former swimming pool in the grounds of a stately home have shared their memories ahead of its demolition.

The pool at Wentworth Woodhouse, near Rotherham, was used by a women's teacher training PE college on the site, and by the local community.

In 1980, the Rotherham United squad trained at the site, and firefighters learned how to swim in full kit there.

The pool, which closed in the 1980s, is being demolished to make way for a new visitor car park.

Former Rotherham United goalkeeper Ray Mountford said he had fond memories of the pool.

Mr Mountford, who started his career at Manchester United, said when he first arrived in Rotherham in 1978 players had to train anywhere they could, and clean their kits at home.

However, he said after Ian Porterfield was appointed as manager the team were given use of the pool to cool down after the rigours of pre-season training.

"When you had worked so hard and left everything on the training ground, rather than going home you came here and you felt quite privileged really," he said.

Mr Mountford believes the pool sessions also helped the Millers go on to win the Third Division Championship in 1980/81.

"The results for me speak for themselves - we had a fantastic season," he added.

He quipped that the cold water also played a part in he and his wife going on to have a daughter after two years of trying to conceive.

Jean Ryans was a lifeguard and swimming instructor at the pool between 1977 and 1980, after it was taken over by Sheffield City Polytechnic.

"The students were studying sport, so this was part of the course," she said.

Hundreds of local children used the pool and one of the more undesirable jobs was to keep the pool clean, including scrubbing the hundreds of tiles, she said.

The pool, which was part of the Lady Mabel College block, was also used for canoeing and synchronised swimming.

Talking about her return to the site, Ms Ryans said it brought back fond memories.

"It's really weird and a bit sad to see it - but it is what it is and it's got to go," she added.

The Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, which bought the 365-room stately home in 2017 for £7m, said the demolition work would start on Monday.

Ian Taylor, the trust's logistics and infrastructure manager, said the modern college buildings at the rear of the stables, which have been unused since the mid-1980s, were being bulldozed to make way for a new visitor car park.

The work is part of a £130m scheme to renovate the Grade I listed house.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].