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Walpole Bay Tidal Pool added to Beaches and Seaside Resorts in South East by gimbalflight on 18/04/2022

Parking is free just to the east of the pool in the carpark. Quite a steep single road down so be careful of pedestrians and other road users.

TOAL was from the beach. It was quiet but I imagine in the summer would be much busier.

Info on Walpole Bay Tidal Pool taken from The Historic England Webpage. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1421296?section=official-list-entry

Summary
A tidal sea bathing pool built in 1937.

Reasons for Designation
Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, one of two tidal pools designed by Margate's borough engineer in 1937, constructed in concrete blocks reinforced by reused iron tram rails, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Structural engineering interest: an ambitious project because of its scale, the weight of each concrete block, and that work needing to be carried out day and night because of the tides; * Scale and design: impressive in scale and shape, occupying 4 acres and three sides of a rectangle, the sides 450 feet long diminishing towards the seaward end which was 300 feet long; * Social historical interest: provided an improvement to sea bathing at the period of the greatest popularity of the English seaside; * Degree of intactness: intact apart from the loss of the two diving boards which do not often survive; * Group value: situated quite near the remains of the 1824-6 Clifton Baths (Grade II), an 1935 lift and the other 1937 tidal pool.

History
Walpole Bay Tidal Pool was built in 1937, one of two tidal pools constructed at the same time in Margate, the other at Marine Terrace opposite Cliftonville Lido. Both were constructed in order to make it possible for large numbers of people to bathe in the sea at all states of the tide because, owing to the gradual slope of the beach and the considerable tidal range, low water mark at spring tides could be as far as 300 yards from the promenades.

The pool covers over four acres and its dimensions are 450ft long, 300ft wide at the seaward end and 550ft long at the landward end. It cost circa £7,000. The top level of the wall was arranged so that the pool was completely submerged at every tide, ensuring a sufficient change-over of sea water twice a day. Fresh water springs rise from the beach within the walls providing fresh water from the floor of the pool. Originally two diving boards were provided.

PLAN: three sides of a rectangle, longer at the landward side where there is no wall. There is a break near the landward side of the western wall. The dimensions are 450ft at the sides, 300ft at the seaward side and 550ft at the landward end.

DESCRIPTION: built of interlocking concrete block walls with concealed iron tram rails running about 5ft deep into the chalk foundation and up to within one foot of the top of the wall. The wall is two or three feet wide, about two or three feet deep at the landward side but increases in depth towards the seaward end to enclose a pool about seven feet high at this end. There are two-foot wide overflows in the top course six inches below the top of the wall so the top water line is always six inches below the top. There are four flights of steps with iron handrails and three penstocks are fitted in the outer walls in order to empty the pool, which took about two hours.

View and discuss this location in more detail on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.39307, 1.404185 • what3words: ///trend.state.ears
The originator declared that this location was not inside a Flight Restriction Zone at the time of being flown on 15/04/2022. It remains the responsibility of any pilot to check for any changes before flying at the same location. Landowner permission may be required before taking off.

Where to fly your drone

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Birleys Sports Field, Canterbury (By grandad1950)

A large sports field with extensive facilities and a lovely old church hidden in the trees

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Co-ordinates: 51.29087, 1.083089 • what3words: ///fever.truth.badly
Middle Falls, Craven (By markas)

Not many people have heard of this waterfall compared to the more well-known waterfalls in Yorkshire, and you won’t see many photos of it as it’s a little off the beaten track in Upper Warfdale, however its quite near a roadside parking spot, and can actually be seen on the drive, but few actually park up and walk right up to the waterfall.

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Co-ordinates: 54.21232, -2.084683 • what3words: ///reassured.willpower.skimmers
Swanbourne Lake, Arun (By winglider)

Beautiful part of the countryside very close to Arundel. A beautiful park and lake that is open to the public. Parking is very limited in the summer when it gets very busy. There is a tea room and toilets at the entrance.
Unfortunatly they did not want me to TOAL on their property so found a spot by the road.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 50.86196, -0.556248 • what3words: ///rinses.sketch.prospered
Porthcawl - Sandy bay and Trecco Bay Look Out Tower, Bridgend (By stubbyd)

Lovely open beach and area that I can't believe I haven't previously added.

At this hour it is generally empty, but with the introduction of one of two beach front saunas it has become popular with the early morning "sea dippers" (don't know if there's an official term for what these nutters do).

Also included a shot of the old Coney beach fun fair which is slowly being dismantled [thankfully]. This is meant to be replaced by a development of houses, shops, etc.

There is a large choice of parking, but the closest and easiest is the car park of the Hi Tide Inn, the same Inn that hosts the annual Elvis festival, and is literally right on the edge of Sandy Bay itself.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.47858, -3.693852 • what3words: ///schematic.abruptly.studio
Cliffe Castle, Bradford (By Rick2522)

Cliffe Castle is a beautifully restored Victorian mansion and museum set within large landscaped parkland on the western edge of Keighley, West Yorkshire. The grounds include wide open lawns, ornamental gardens, glasshouses, fountains, and long tree-lined paths — all surrounded by gently rolling hills and views across the Aire Valley.

For drone flying, it offers a great mix of architectural detail, open space, and scenic landscape, ideal for both cinematic and aerial photography.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 53.87495, -1.913091 • what3words: ///plank.united.remove
Sturry Road Community Park, Canterbury (By grandad1950)

A fairly wild community open space near canterbury with lots of room to fly

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Co-ordinates: 51.29203, 1.110955 • what3words: ///dolly.cabin.photo
Hall Garth Park, Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire (By CutThroatJake)

Hall Garth Park in Hornsea is a large green space that offers locals and visitors a beautiful place to relax. Just a short walk from Hornsea's town centre, this well-maintained park features lush lawns, mature trees, and flower beds. It’s the perfect place for a leisurely stroll or picnic.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 53.91265, -0.169516 • what3words: ///detection.petulant.variously
Lower Town, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire (By stubbyd)

Nestled along the rugged Pembrokeshire coastline, Lower Town Harbour offers a tranquil glimpse into Wales’ maritime past.

This charming tidal harbour is surrounded by colourful cottages [reminds me of Ballamory], fishing boats, and rolling green hills that meet the sea. At low tide, the boats rest gently on the mudflats, revealing the textures and tones and along with the wooded hills and the open bay then I think it offers a lot for photography enthusiasts be they land or air based.

Lower Town has free parking - I didn't check for how long but more than enough for a drone flight or two.

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Co-ordinates: 51.99573, -4.969473 • what3words: ///prevented.glass.countries
Ruperra Castle, Caerphilly (By pete-the-geek)

This is a stunning Grade 2 listed building. It is unfortunately privately owned and you are not permitted to TOAL nearby. It has been devastated by fire and is in a state of disrepair.

The whole surrounding area is managed by the Ruperra Conservation Trust. On the top of the hill to the North, is a historic Hill Fort and some more modern transformations are still visible via another short walk up the hill which makes for another great location to fly around

Parking is some distance away with a 1km walk to the TOAL site that I used, which is a track that is also a bridalway. It provides a couple of spots that give you good line of site but beware, the surrounding building are private residences so the residence may have objections to overflights. It is also an equestrian business so there are horses and riders frequenting the area.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.57003, -3.127177 • what3words: ///occurs.design.boost
Pen-y-Lan, Newport (By pete-the-geek)

This is a great area to fly for sunset views. It is possible to see from Cardiff to Newport and being elevated above the surrounding area it gives good views. In good weather, you can also see across the Severn Channel to England.

Be careful of the 2 wind turbines.

There are a couple of pull-ins where you can fly from and good views of the drone while flying.

As it is rural, it is possible to easily fly heavy drones there but as you have to take off on the road side, care must be taken to ensure adequate distance from the occasional vehicles.

View and discuss this location on Grey Arrows.

Co-ordinates: 51.55633, -3.077139 • what3words: ///surnames.because.myself

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