Where was this outdoor swimming place near Frinton or Southend-on-Sea?

[FrintonOrNot]

I've just been reminded of a childhood memory of my grandparents (no longer with us) taking my brother and I to a beach and we paddled/played in a shallow pool of some sort that had seawater in as I remember it being really salty.

I had always assumed it was Frinton but I can't now see anywhere that would be! I remember it being almost in some gardens with my grandma sitting up nearby watching us. I don't think it was a proper cut-out outdoor pool but more like a shallow marine lake. Yet 'manicured' enough that it wasn't just part of the sea. But couldn't have been far! I'm probably misremembering a lot - this would've been late 1980s/early 1990s. More likely to be around Southend but looking at satellite on Google maps I can't see anything like it.

I'm beginning to think I imagined it and it was actually the sea. Does anyone know/remember where this might have been?

Brightlingsea?

Maldon? The swimming lake is long gone, after a nasty accident, but it's where I learned to swim.

Exactly what I was thinking!

Brightlingsea lido pic.

There used to be an outdoor pool in Colchester, but in the early 80s it closed down. Brightlingsea lido is still there but no cut grass, infact until recently it was all concrete. Maldon not sure, as that was all redeveloped in the 90s

Brightlingsea has a roped.off bit of "sea" as well as the lido. I was thinking Maldon, I remember swimming there, but I don't know if it was salty. Tollesbury maybe, that has a salt pool.

https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/campaign-to-bring-back-swimming-to-maldon-marine-lake/

https://www.tollesburyparishcouncil.gov.uk/amenities-facilities/woodup-pool/

This is the Tollesbury one

Yes, Maldon was a marine lake with salt water

There are two paddling pools on southend seafront, but they're on the beach and stay full of seawater when the tide goes out. One is opposite the cliff gardens.

Thanks everyone! From a brief look nothing is quite going 'a-ha!' but my computer is dying so I'll have to look tomorrow!
I don't remember it being very big or rectangular so not sure about Brightlingsea.

Where the westcliff casino is now on Southend seafront used to be an outdoor pool. Ian drury is said to have contracted polio from it. Make of that what you will.

@FrintonOrNot I'd love to know if it was Tollesbury as it seems to fit your bill apart from not being exactly near Southend or Frinton but kind of between the two

There's a salt water paddling pool in chalkwell near Southend. If you Google it you'll get some pictures.

There is one at Leigh on the beach by Bell Wharf.

I asked my partner who grew up in Frinton and their response was "It could be the backwaters, it won’t be Frinton as the greensward is too high "

Could it be Maldon that had cut grass around it

Thanks everyone. Nothing looks quite like I picture so I've probably mixed up the memories. If anything, a few 'nicer' photos of the 3 Shells Lagoon looks a bit like it - but I didn't think it was right on the sea, so who knows?!

Me too! I used to live in Dedham in the 60's and we spent so much time at the Malden Marine Park.