It is the end of an era, as the 120-year-old Army swimming pool closes its doors for the last time.

The pool is being demolished as part of the garrison development plans, after thousands of swimmers have learnt how to stay afloat using its facilities over the decades.

Colchester Swimming Club are the last group to use the pool in Circular Road South.

Swimmers will only have to wait two weeks before the new pool at the Merville Barracks is launched in its place, but it is the end of a long story for the garrison's original facility.

Built in the 1880s as an open-air pool, a £21,500 scheme in 1952 saw it converted into a modern indoor facility, involving roofing it in, installing chlorination, filtration and heating plants, plus cubicles and showers.

In 2002, it was revealed the writing could be on the wall for the pool, when Colchester Council announced plans for the new development included demolishing the pool.

A spokesman for the Army said while the new pool, as its predecessor, is not available for use to the general public on a day-to-day basis, civilian groups will, once again, be able to book use.

"All the groups that currently use the old pool have applied and been given permission to use the new one," he said.

He said the 25 metre pool at Merville Barracks is of Olympic width, spread out across eight lines, and has a diving area which the old pool did not have.