History of
Ruislip Lido

If you have any information on the Lido, the miniature gauge railway, or the surrounding woodland that you feel will make a great addition, then please get in touch with us.

The Hamlet of Park Hearne (before 1804)

Long before the Lido existed, the site was a small, shallow valley with a stream running through it. A handful of dwellings lined its length, forming the hamlet of Park Hearne. This quiet settlement remained until the Ruislip Enclosure of 1804–1814, when large areas of the old parish — previously open fields and common grazing land — were divided up and fenced off by Act of Parliament.

The Reservoir (1811)

To recoup the cost of organising the enclosures, portions of land were sold off. One parcel was purchased by the Grand Junction Canal Company, which needed a reliable water supply to feed its canal. A dam was built across the valley — on the spot where the boathouse now stands — creating a reservoir fed by streams from Copse Wood and what is now Northwood Golf Course. By the end of 1811, it was reported as filling with water.

What became of the displaced cottagers is not known for certain, though there is a local story that militia had to be brought from Windsor to evict them.

The Lido Opens (1933) and Its Golden Era (1950s–1980)

The reservoir was opened to the public as a lido in 1933, and by the 1950s it had entered its heyday as a water-based recreation facility. Water skiing became popular, the lake covered a much larger area than it does today, and thousands of visitors arrived each summer. At peak times, London Transport ran three separate bus routes — using double-deckers at twenty-minute intervals — to bring people from across North West London.

On the western shore stood the original 1930s building, housing a cafe, changing rooms, a manager’s office and a chlorination plant. Turnstiles controlled entry, and admission and parking charges raised considerable revenue.

It was during this period that the Lido gained a surprising film career. The beach appeared in The Young Ones starring Cliff Richard, and — most memorably — the Titanic sank in the reservoir for the 1958 film A Night to Remember.

Decline (1970s–1994)

In the 1970s, the council sharply increased admission charges, pricing out many of the visitors who had made the Lido so popular. Footfall dropped, and traders left one by one, unable to turn a profit.

The Lido gradually became a place for walking rather than swimming, and fell into disrepair. A private management company took over in 1991, but access down a narrow street, proximity to residential properties and serious water shortages all contributed to the venture’s failure. The council repossessed the site in 1993, and in 1994, the main building was destroyed by fire. A period of underfunding and neglect followed.

Revival and the Lido Today

Recovery began with the arrival of Whitbread, who opened The Water’s Edge pub on the original site of the 1930s building, providing much-needed income to fund improvements to the grounds.

Today, the Ruislip Lido Railway continues to thrive as one of the Lido’s biggest draws, and the site remains a popular destination for walking, family days out, and wildlife. It sits within Ruislip Woods — London’s first National Nature Reserve — and both sites are now managed together by the council’s Trees and Woodlands team.

This information first appeared on the Hillingdon government website, but since moving to a new website, the information is no longer available there, so we added it here.