2-887-626 - Historic England Archive/Heritage Images

Sherwood Forest Holiday Village, Rufford, Newark and Sherwood, Nottinghamshire, 15/05/1987. An interior view of the swimming pool and domed roof above, at the Sherwood Forest Holiday Village. Work began on 17th March 1986 on the development of a holiday park at Sherwood Forest for Center Parcs. The park would be the first Center Parcs development in the country and would consist of 600 bungalows and leisure and sport buildings; the contract also comprised the external landscaping of the site. The contract was for 14 months, with completion of the park expected to be May 1987; the handover took place on 15th May 1987 and the park opened to guests on 3rd July. The futuristic dome structure of the swimming pool was topped out on 2nd July 1986. It was covered with Texlon plastic and maintained a constant temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. When completed, the swimming pool had a wave pool, waterfalls and a 75m water slide. The slide was edged with natural stone and the pool was surrounded by "boulders and lush vegetation". A cropped version of this photograph was published as part of a double-page spread in the August 1987 edition of 'Team Spirit', the Laing newsletter.