History

The origins of organised swimming in Dorset are lost in the mists of time, although the earliest reference belongs to Weymouth. Thanks to King George III and his family, who journeyed there for their summer holidays in the late 18th century, Weymouth was already a fashionable bathing resort when Bournemouth did not even exist. ‘Weymouth Swimming Club was founded in 1825 – we have a set of minutes,’ says club treasurer Terry Woolley. ‘It was primarily for enthusiasts of sea swimming and diving. The club also taught youngsters to swim. The club’s headquarters were at the Red Lion in Hope Square on the harbour.

Water polo was also played at 19th century Weymouth and Portland while along the coast at Bournemouth (which, along with Christchurch, was in Hampshire until local government reorganisation in 1974) the infant resort was earning itself a unique place in the history of this particular discipline. On July 13, 1876, in the sea off Bournemouth Pier, the Bournemouth Premier Rowing Club hosted the world’s first recorded water polo match. Described in a newspaper as the ‘first of a series of aquatic handball matches', the fixture was played by two teams of seven using goals marked out by four flags which were moored 50 yards apart to the west of the pier. This and other swimming activities led in 1889 to the formation of Bournemouth Swimming Club, which survives to this day with a strong emphasis on water polo.

Water polo was also played at 19th century Weymouth and Portland while along the coast at Bournemouth (which, along with Christchurch, was in Hampshire until local government reorganisation in 1974) the infant resort was earning itself a unique place in the history of this particular discipline. On July 13, 1876, in the sea off Bournemouth Pier, the Bournemouth Premier Rowing Club hosted the world’s first recorded water polo match. Described in a newspaper as the ‘first of a series of aquatic handball matches', the fixture was played by two teams of seven using goals marked out by four flags which were moored 50 yards apart to the west of the pier. This and other swimming activities led in 1889 to the formation of Bournemouth Swimming Club, which survives to this day with a strong emphasis on water polo.

The Western Counties ASA was formed in 1901, attracting major support from Gloucestershire, Devon and Somerset but rather less from the other three counties. In fact, a report dated 1908 indicates that of 76 clubs affiliated to the West, only three were from Dorset. In 1914 even these withdrew their membership, perhaps because of the First World War. A survey, also dated 1914, reveals the paucity of facilities in the county at that time. Sherborne had the only swimming baths and even they were privately owned by a school. At Dorchester and Wimborne people swam in the river; at Bridport, Lyme Regis, Poole, Portland, Swanage and Weymouth, the sea was the only option. Other towns were not even mentioned.

It was not until 1931 that Dorset had its own county association. The Western Counties ASA called a meeting at Dorchester on March 28, 1931, chaired by the President, Brigadier G de V Welchman, and with other officers attending. Keith Sawtell, an English diving champion from Sherborne, represented the Amateur Diving Association. He had been ‘largely instrumental’ in co-ordinating the various swimming interests in the county and was elected as the first President of the Dorset County ASA. Also present were representatives of swimming interests at Bridport, Dorchester, Lyme Regis, Wareham, Wimborne and Weymouth.

Blandford was among the towns not represented despite having had its own open-air pool as early as 1924 – a facility which survived until 1993. Even more surprisingly, considering the size of the town and its dependence on the sea, there was no-one from Poole. In fact, it was not until two months later, on June 1, 1931, that Poole SC was formed and affiliated to the county. Poole had recently acquired an open-air pool in Park Lake Road, described by Mr Sawtell as the best in Dorset, despite the occasional coating of soot and ash from steam engines which stopped at a traffic signal outside. Bournemouth and Christchurch, of course, were still in Hampshire, while Ferndown was just a rural village whose first pool and swimming club were more than 40 years away.

The first county cups were also presented in 1931 – for diving and the men’s and boys’ 100 yards freestyle. The same year saw the first annual Poole Harbour Swim, from the floating bridge at Sandbanks to the Quay. It remained a male-only event until 1956, when Jean Holland of Poole SC was told that if she could get six ladies, they too could enter. She succeeded.

In 1931, most swimmers were still using the trudgeon or sidestroke in competition but a report on a Poole gala the following year reveals that ‘the men are changing over to the crawl’. Due to the lack of pools, many events were held in rivers and the sea. At Bridport, the nearest thing to a starting block was a wooden platform in the River Brit, which could be above or below the water surface, depending on the flow of water over the sluice. ‘There was no false start rope so we dived in when the starter said, “Take your marks!”’ says Joy Grounds. ‘The first to leave gave a tremendous thrust so that the slower starters were jerked backwards. The referee and judges were on the wall well away from the race. The turn judges were in rowing boats 50 yards up river.