One of Burnley’s best-loved summer traditions is proving as popular as ever, with children and families enjoying Thompson Park’s historic paddling pool throughout the school holidays following improvements backed by the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund.
The paddling pool has been welcoming youngsters on warm summer days, providing families with a much-loved place to cool off, play and spend time together in one of Burnley’s most popular parks.
A £30,000 allocation from the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund has supported improvements to the paddling pool, including resurfacing and repainting, together with drainage works designed to help protect the water and keep the facility in good condition for years to come.
The project forms part of a wider £1.5 million programme of UK Government-funded investment in Burnley through the Pride in Place Impact Fund. Burnley Council is using the funding to deliver a range of improvements to community facilities, parks and public spaces across the borough.
Councillor Martyn Hurt, Burnley Council’s Executive Member for Health, Leisure and Culture, said:
“It’s fantastic to see children and families enjoying the paddling pool again this summer.
“Thompson Park has a special place in the hearts of generations of Burnley residents and the paddling pool is one of those simple things that creates really happy childhood memories.
“This Pride in Place funding has allowed us to make practical improvements to a much-loved facility while protecting an important part of the park’s heritage for future generations.
“It is also part of a much wider programme of work to improve our parks and green spaces across the borough. These are places people use every day, and investing in them makes a real difference to our neighbourhoods and to people’s quality of life.
“I’d also like to thank our greenspaces staff, who work hard throughout the summer to keep Thompson Park and the paddling pool clean, safe and welcoming.”
The paddling pool has been part of Thompson Park since the park’s earliest days.
Thompson Park was created following a £50,000 bequest from local businessman James Witham Thompson for the creation of a public park for the people of Burnley. The original plans included the boating lake, Italian gardens, tea rooms and paddling pool, and the park officially opened on 16 July 1930.
Almost a century later, the paddling pool remains one of the park’s most distinctive and popular family attractions and continues to bring generations of Burnley families together.
The improvements also complement Burnley Council’s wider work to maintain and improve high-quality parks and green spaces across Burnley and Padiham.
Thompson Park is one of six parks in the borough to have received a Green Flag Award in 2026, alongside Ightenhill Park, Padiham Memorial Park, Queen’s Park, Scott Park and Towneley Park.
The paddling pool opens during suitable warm and sunny weather, weekends April to September and during the school holidays.
Post expires at 9:24am on Thursday November 19th, 2026