So here’s the third in the SWIM series. I drafted this earlier in the year in anticipation of Cleveland Pools opening but sadly we’re still waiting! (it’s now July). In the meantime here’s some other ways to cool off in some of the most glorious outdoor swimming pools and lidos in and around Bath. Also worth checking out Outdoor Swimming in & Around Bath and my most visited page, 12 Free Places to Swim & Paddle.
The word lido comes from the Latin litus, meaning “beach” and is a public outdoor swimming pool or part of a beach used by the public for swimming and water sports.
Bristol Lido is an historic lido with spa facilities, saunas and treatment rooms with a restaurant and café.
The 24 metre outdoor swimming pool is heated throughout the year to a temperature designed to leave you feeling fresh and energised. At around 22-25 degrees Celsius, it allows for comfortable swimming and is a wonderfully refreshing contrast to the heat of the other spa facilities – the sauna, steam room & hot tub.
Membership is hard to come by but guests can pre-book a 2 hour session (swim, sauna, steam and hot tub) for £25 starting from 10am, booking slots are open every hour until 3pm.
Location: Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1LP
Cleveland Pools, Opening soon!
Cleveland Pools is the UK’s oldest public outdoor swimming pool. Built in 1815, the site first opened as a river fed pool, followed by a colourful history through the Victorian era to its heyday in the 1970s, until competition from the newly opened indoor Bath Sports and Leisure Centre saw Cleveland Pools finally close to swimming in 1984.
After an 18 year campaign to save the Pools a National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) £6.8 million grant was awarded to help bring this wonderful heritage site back into use as a community pool.
With a few final pieces of the puzzle to completer, namely finishing the pontoon and completing the transferring management of the Pools to the operator then hopefully this masterpiece will be open once again.
Location: Cleveland Pools, Hampton Row, Bath BA2 6BJ The pool is accessed via a steep slope once inside the entrance gate.
Photo: Anthony Brown
Cirencester Open Air Swimming Pool opened in 1870 in a picturesque location next to Cirencester Park. There is a 27.5m main pool and a small pool for young children with a depth of 0,75m, plus a tuck shop and a patio area for relaxing. The pool is fed by a natural spring and heated to an average temperature of 26°C throughout the season.
Location: Riverside Walk Thomas Street between Cecily Hill and The Mead, Cirencester GL7 2EF
The Cross Bath
The Cross Bath is an intimate open-air thermal bath. Where the Cross Bath now stands, the Celts revered their goddess Sul, in whose honour the Romans named their spa town, Aquae Sulis. The Cross Spring is now recognised as an official sacred site. As you relax in the oval Cross Bath, you can watch the natural thermal waters cascade from the spring and a specially commissioned poolside fountain.
Location: 9, 10 Hot Bath St, Bath BA1 1SJ
Green Bank Pool in the heart of Street, set in the beautiful Somerset countryside. It’s a fabulous 100 feet (30 metres) outdoor pool heated to 30C in the main pool and 32C in the children’s pool, so you can swim comfortably even when the sun is hiding behind the clouds. The pool offers you a wonderful swimming experience in a lovely location with a grassed social area for having a picnic, relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere. With plenty of shade if the sun is shining provided by lovely trees.
Booking: No, booking is not required, turn up on the day. Check out the handy FAQs here
Location: Wilfrid Rd, Street BA16 0EU
Sitting right on Portishead seafront, Portishead Open Air Pool is a 33-metre community pool. The pool is heated with green energy and is open throughout the summer season from April to September, open seven days a week.
Complete with extensive sun terraces, a toddler pool and tuck shop, this unique leisure facility was saved by volunteers in the local community and is now run as a charitable trust and staffed largely by volunteers. It is open seven days a week at the height of the season and is home to school swimming galas and charity swims and events. It has also been used for life saving training and other water related activities and instruction.
The RUH pool is a 20m open air swimming pool, open to the public (£4) as well as hospital staff (£3) all year round. It’s heated to around 27C from May to September, and 17C April – October for cold water swimming.
This is a lengths pool and you get your own lane for a 30 minute session which is brilliant. Grab a coffee and snack in the cafe beside the pool. Parking can be hard to find and adds
Location: Building E6, Oasis Building, Royal United Hospitals Bath, Combe Park, BA1 3NG
Sandford Park Lido is a magnificent Grade II listed outdoor pool set in four acres of beautiful landscaped grounds in the heart of Cheltenham Spa. The lido consists of an olympic size 50-metre main pool heated to 26 degrees, a children’s pool, and paddling pool both heated to 30 derees. There’s an in-house cafe with plentiful seating both inside and out.
Book your swimming session here
Location: Keynsham Rd, Cheltenham GL53 7PU
Shepton Mallet Lido is a heated outdoor pool perfect for a lovely swim during the summer. There’s also a toddler pool, a wonderful series of fountains and water jets to play in, plus a children’s play area on the grass. There’s a shop selling drinks, snacks and ice creams and picnic benches.
Location: Shaftgate Ave, Shepton Mallet BA4 5YA
Thermae Bath Spa – Float in the open air rooftop pool at Britain’s only natural mineral-rich thermal spa and soak up the spectacular views over Bath.
Built on the only natural hot springs in the UK, Bath has been famed for its thermal spas since Roman times, when travellers would come from all over Europe to bathe in their healing waters.
Alongside a large indoor thermal pool and a series of treatment rooms, the New Royal Baths feature a heated rooftop pool with incredible views over the city.
The Wave
The Wave is an inland surfing destination born out of a passion for technology, nature and human health. At its heart is an unbelievable surfing lake with perfect waves, set in incredible green space. It’s ethos is about getting back to nature, improving health and well-being, connecting with other people, enjoying wonderful food and drink, immersing yourself in an incredible day out and having a load of fun in the process!
You don’t need to surf, the surrounding area has a playground, cafe and seating area. You can even stay at The Camp at the wave in these beautiful lodges.
Location: Washingpool Farm Main Road, Easter Compton, Bristol BS35 5RE
All images have been taken from the respective pools website.