Founded in 1899, the original members ensured that the club got off to a successful start in both swimming and water polo, at club,county and district level.  A prominent local
citizen, the Rt.Hon.lord de Blaquiere accepted an invitation to become the first president and a strong administrative team played it's part in the formation of the Western Counties A.S.A (established 1901) and the Somerset County A.S.A a year later.  A ladies section of Bath Dolphin was created in 1901 and had it's own hon.  secretary, treasurer and other officers although sharing the same president as the male members.  Later in the century the ladies appointed presidents of their own.  Lord de Blacquiere was, in fact, the first of only four presidents of the club that we know today,right up to 1967 when a maximum three-year term for each succeeding president was introduced.

In the early years club activities were split between the Royal Baths and the open-air Cleveland Baths but in 1923 the 'New Baths' in Beau Street were opened and the club
established it's headquarters there.  Over fifty years passed before Bath Dolphin moved to the newly built Bath Sports and Leisure Centre which, at the time,included a pool thirty three and a third metres in length - a considerable increase on the twenty five yards at Beau Street.  It was not until 1996 that the Sports Centre pool was reduced to twenty five metres, in line with A.S.A recommendations.

Both men's and ladies sections produced some talented swimmers between the wars, with several wining county and district championships.  As in world war one, the second world war curtailed activities but throughout the duration Bath Dolphin continued to teach (in the historic Cross Bath) and promote swimming.
Most members were school children (as is the case today) but there were so few seniors (due to the call up to the armed forces) that senior championships were abandoned.

The war having finally ended, the club resumed it's normal footing and there
followed a period from the late forties into the mid- sixties when the club started again not only to produce some excellent swimmers but also one of the best
intermediate water polo squads in the Western Counties.  The club won the Somerset County Championship on no less than four occasions in the fifties.


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