By 1933 with an increasing population the owners of Riverside Farm off Wharf Lane in Vange had an outside swimming pool and diving board constructed within the grounds. This was open to the public from around 1933; being filled by natural sea water pumped from the tidal Vange Creek. It proved very popular but closed in 1952 apparently due to a health scare arising from the poor quality of the water. It was subsequently filled in around 1962.

With the advent of the New Town in 1949 calls were soon being heard for a permanent indoor public swimming pool, though both the corporation and the council didn't consider this to be given any priority over other more essential public amenities, like community centres, public houses and new churches. For those within the years of education things were a little better. Outdoor pools could be found at Craylands Senior School and Laindon High Road (from 1960), and indoor pools were provided at Barstable Grammar (from 1962) and Manor Junior School (opened in 1963), though swimming exams were taken out of the area at Hutton.

Things took a turn in the early 1960s and with the level of interest in swimming gaining momentum Basildon Swimming Club was formed in May 1963. Membership soon reached more than a hundred but because of constant indecision over the projected cost and dimensions of the future pool - International or Championship size - for the first five years of their existence they were compelled to train at Barstable Grammar School's pool, which at least had a single diving board and a maximum depth of eight feet.

In 1966 after years of deliberation the council announced its intention to build two pools within a single complex and work finally got underway the following year at a site just minutes from Basildon Town Centre in Gloucester Park.

Of the two pools the main one was championship size (33⅓ x 12½m) with a minimum depth of 3ft gradually sloping to 6ft 6" where the floor sloped steeply to the pools maximum depth of 12ft 6". The second was a small 'teaching pool' with a minimum depth of 2ft 6" and a maximum depth of 3ft.

The new pool, known simply as Gloucester Park swimming pool, opened on Tuesday April 9th, 1968. The Leader of Basildon Council, Cllr. Anthony Stockley, officially opened the facility when he blew the whistle and 88 children from various Basildon schools jumped in.

It was designed by Basildon Council in-house architect Kenneth Cotton* at a cost of around £500,000. The main contractor was Norman Sinclair Ltd.

An original feature was the 2 storey diving tower and the poolside spring board. The centre board or 'second board' as it became known was fitted with a spring board though 'top board' remained a platform until closure for safety reasons during the 1980s. It was the diving area that accounted for the buildings sloping roof and 12ft 6" maximum depth. Health and safety reasons also necesitated the placement of three observation windows about 5½ feet down on the left side wall of the deep end. Other features within the building included a first floor cafe and a spectator gallery.

Admission prices from winter 1968 were: Monday - Friday, Adults: 2/6 (12½p), Juniors: 1/- (5p) and
Weekends and Bank Holidays: Adults: 3/- (15p), Juniors: 1/6 (7½p). Spectator: 6d (2½p).

Between December 1989 and October 1990 the facility closed to the public and an extensive refurbishment took place. Among the changes was the complete removal of the diving tower and the 1st floor cafe resited on the ground floor and given the name 'splash'. A fitness gym (The Pulse Fitness Centre) later opened around 1994/95 on the first floor in a former function room converted from where the cafe had once existed. During 1995 the poolside spring board was resited when a flume was installed which came into use in late December. Years later this board was removed leaving the pool without any diving facility.

Many additional activities took place within the building and these have included a creche, sauna, solarium and sun booths/beds. Gloucester Park was also home to two swimming clubs; Basildon and Phoenix, who regularly participated in competitions and galas.

In 2005 the swimming pools long term future was thrown into doubt when plans to build a 'centre of sporting excellence' to include a 50m International size pool at the northern end of Gloucester Park were announced. This would later become known as the "Sporting Village" when, following official approval, construction got underway in 2009 and Gloucester Park swimming pool closed on Sunday 24th April, 2011. The building then stood empty and boarded up for a short time before being demolished during September and October the same year.

A housing estate built by Barrett Homes was constructed over the site including the former boating lake. A commemorative plaque at ground level acknowledging its previous existence was later positioned on a spot on or close to where the building once stood.

Its replacement, housed within the Basildon Sporting Village opened the following weekend on Saturday 30th April, 2011.

Other points of interest:

1) Kenneth S. Cotton, A.R.I.B.A., Dip., Arch.

2) The official opening was held on Wednesday June 19th with the Chairman of Basildon Council, Cllr. Terry Chapman performing the opening ceremony.

3) Martin Brady, an employee of the Urban District Council's Architects Department, was responsible for the design and detail of the brick water feature in-front of the main pool built during the creation of the boating lake around 1973.