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The Mayor’s Minute of 1934 declared that the facility was an unqualified success and

statistics showed it had been frequented by over 167,000 people that year. But by 1937 it
was being reported that patronage was in decline and that the restaurant was producing

low receipts. Even so the numbers of patrons exceeded 90,000 and only reached 39,000
in 1946. The decline was attributed to the greater attractions and Sea Point and

Muizenberg – where patron numbers also showed declines during these years. Pollution
of the beach, from factory and stormwater run-off, may also have contributed to its

decline. The nearby Salt River mouth and low-lying areas had become a municipal refuse

dump and old cars were driven into the river’s edge and set on fire. All of this led to a
corruption of the old poem ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’, that did the rounds locally and was

even repeated in the Alhambra Theatre:

Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow
She took it down to Woodstock Beach
En kyk hoe lyk hy nou!

In 1933 Council had decided to seek authority for construction of a full size warm water
swimming bath for non-Europeans on the beach – instead of constructing baths at

Trafalgar Park and Maitland. But on 27 April 1939 Council accepted the tender of

Murray and Stewart for the construction of a swimming bath for non-Europeans in
Trafalgar Park, Woodstock. The cost was £16,498 plus £4,000 for the filtration plant.

Woodstock Beach pavilion and bath succumbed to the Foreshore Scheme: after 1941 it

was marooned in the reclaimed land, cut off from its surroundings by the new Culemborg
goods yards and associated road and rail constructions, and consequently “lost all appeal

as a public amenity.” It survived until August 1952 when it was closed permanently and

demolished. The City Council claimed £10,000 in compensation from the SAR & H in
terms of the original lease agreement. (Cape Times, 30/11/1950).