CHAGFORD Swimming Pool has been awarded £2,895 by the Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Dartmoor Communities Fund to fit heated showers.

In addition to a £450 award from the Chagford Show fund, the money will go towards fitting three new heated showers in the family changing area. Before now, swimmers have until now had to use outdoor cold water showers.

The money will be match-funded by Chagford Recreational Trust and means families will benefit from a warm shower straight after a dip in the freshwater pool.

Chagford Swimming Pool committee chair Rachel Short said: ’We are delighted with this generous grant to help us meet our aim of ensuring that Chagford Pool is one of the best outdoor pools in the country and can be used and enjoyed by everyone in our community now and for many years to come.’

Since autumn 2015, Chagford Swimming Pool has been transformed through a series of funding awards, and the new showers are just the beginning of this winters improvements at the community pool. Over the winter Chagford Swimming Pool has put a Sport England National Lottery funding award to good use, installing a new heating system which will use air source heat pumps to heat the 33 metre pool to an ambient temperature.

A solar PV system has been installed to power the showers and tea shed, cutting bills and along with a UV filtration system will make this pool one of Devon’s most eco-friendly outdoor pools.

Chairman of Chagford Recreational Trust, Chris Mount, said: ’The fundraising undertaken by Chagford Swimming Pool committee over the last two years is incredible. Now locals and visitors alike can enjoy a state of the art open air pool in this special corner of Dartmoor.

’The anticipation of fun filled summer afternoons with the laughter of children filling the air as they splash around in one of Devon’s most environmentally friendly pools should make the committee very proud of their hard work.’

The pool team has worked incredibly hard to get the pool ready for the new season on May 28 after severe flooding and damage in February. The pool was awarded a further flood relief grant from Sport England to help restore the pool after the River Teign entered the pool, changing rooms, tea shed and car park. Volunteer work parties have met each Saturday to help clear the damage and members of the community have been involved in the clear-up process including Chagford Fire Brigade.

Pictures show the clean-up effort after February’s floods.