Kathryn Graves from Chesham Town Council has just found a very interesting
paper written on the history of Chesham Open Air Swimming Pool written by
one of their past mayors, A. H. J. Baines, who was also a local historian.
She includes some of the information here:

"Whilst the pool as we know it today was constructed in 1964, there has been
an open pool at Chesham's Moor since the late 19th century.

Bathing in the stream on the Moor was an old Chesham custom, but in the 19th
century nearby residents complained about the "bathing nuisance" to the
Urban District Council. The Council abated the nuisance by surrounding the
bathing place with a concrete wall topped with a corrugated iron fence.
Records show that in 1902 the bathing place was
open until dusk during weekdays, and there was a man in charge who collected
a penny from each bather.

As demand increased, the Council decided in 1912 to provide a proper pool on
the Moor, 90 feet by 40 feet and 3 to 5 feet deep. There were special
sessions for gentleman and for ladies, first-class and second-class, with
season tickets.

The baths were reconstructed in 1964. In 1974 the pool was leased to the
new Chiltern District Council until that Council provided an (indoor) pool
of its own. When this occurred, in response to strong public demand, the
Chess Valley Sports and Leisure Association (CVSLA) was set up to manage the
open air pool and keep it open. The pool was extensively refurbished in
1988-89, and further improvements were made in the 1990s. Following years of
sterling voluntary work, CVSLA ceased operating in 2007 and the Town Council
now manages the pool and its associated facilities."

Photo attached.

[By the way the phone number is 01494 776975 and the postcode is HP5 1SE
(not as stated on my website)
- Oliver]