Opening date and admission price tbc, Shap Pool, CumbriaĮager for a bit of high altitude crawl? Forget the Himalayas, England has its own option at almost 1,000 feet. Legend has it that a basking shark was once swept up into the pool by a giant wave and landed next to a swimmer. It is the perfect place to idle away an hour or so while awaiting a ferry across to Dunoon or to watch giant ships sailing past. It boasts a superb sea view across the Firth of Clyde to the hills of Argyll, but more importantly, especially on a chilly day, this saltwater pool is heated to a generous 29C. Lidos and outdoor pools are not common in Scotland, which makes Gourock particularly special. Run by an enthusiastic team, it often has events such as night-time swims and various classes.Īiming to open on 21 June, £5, cafe in the village, picnic tables, Ilkley Lido, West Yorkshire The 25-metre pool is set in lovely gardens in the village of Helmsley, itself an excellent base for exploring the North York Moors national park. North of England lidos and outdoor pools are in short supply these days, so it’s good to include this little North Yorkshire treasure – actually Yorkshire’s only heated outdoor pool. Limited opening from 7 June, admission price tbc, cafe, picnic tables, .uk Helmsley Open Air Pool, North York Moors The water is heated to a balmy 26C and is UV-treated with minimal chlorination. The original mud bottom and high diving boards are long gone, but the site is little changed in other respects: surrounded by trees with a tea shed for refreshments. Warm showers await once you’ve emerged from the unheated pool, which uses water from chalk aquifers.Īiming to open 8 May, from £3, cafe, picnic on the lawns, Chagford Pool, Devonįed by water from the River Teign, this 1933 classic in the north of the Dartmoor national park is well worth visiting. Surrounded by lawns, trees, and a flint wall, the pool is a lovely place in the South Downs to spend a day with a picnic.
This is the grand old original of all open-water pools: opened in 1861 as a 50-yard-long unheated pool long before the days front crawl caught on (two Native American swimmers, Flying Gull and Tobacco, had defeated the English in an 1844 swimming competition held in London but the British refused to adopt the stroke for another half century, deeming it ungentlemanly).
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