Winter Pools and Lidos

Many of us don’t need persuading to swim outdoors during the cold months, and this year more than ever before, lidos are staying open throughout the winter season thanks to the volunteers and swim groups who dedicate their time to support these local pools. Let’s hope they leave on the hot showers, provide pop-up wood-fuelled saunas and serve luxury hot chocolate!

João Marcelo Martins

Here’s a list of UK lidos which are staying open for the winter season. Please check websites and social media for opening times, ticket prices and whether under 18s can swim there. Don’t forget there are also open water venues up and down the UK. Check out our Open Water Directory here.

Winter swimming for the first time? Here are some FAQs to get you started. More information and advice on winter swimming is available on the Survive section of our website.

If you would like a lido featured on this list, please send details to hello@outdoorswimmingsociety.com.

WALES

Lido Ponty

oss-winter-lido-ponty @lidoponty

Lido Ponty is a beautiful place to swim, with three pools and an Art Deco flair and sitting in the south of Wales amidst the dramatic Welsh valleys.

@lidoponty

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NORTH WEST ENGLAND

Ingleton Lido

oss-winter-ingleton-lido @ingletonpool

Set amidst the Yorkshire Dales, at the foot of Ingleborough, one of the iconic Yorkshire Three Peaks, Ingleton Lido will be open at the weekends. The 20m pool is unheated but hot drinks and snacks are available. 

@ingletonpool

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Hathersage Pool

oss-winter-hathersage-pool @hathersageswimmingpool

This heated pool in the heart of the Peak District is open throughout the winter season, with an exciting events calendar which includes night swims and live music. 

@hathersageswimmingpool

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NORTH EAST ENGLAND

Jubilee Park Woodhall Spa

Jubilee Park is set within 10 acres of picturesque gardens, a short walk from the centre of Woodhall Spa village and just 20 minutes’ drive from Lincoln. Jubilee Park is a charity and reviewing week by week how long to keep the pool open during winter season.

@jubilee_park_woodhall_spa

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MIDLANDS

New Bath Hotel Pool

oss-winter-new-bath-hotel @newbathhotel

Located on the south-east border of the Peak District, this spring-fed pool is open throughout the winter months alongside a range of spa facilities. Closed on the first Monday and Tuesday of every month for cleaning, swim hats are required and foot wear to get to and from the changing rooms.

@newbathhotel

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Droitwich Spa Lido

oss-winter-droitwich-spa @droitwichlido

Droitwich Spa Lido offers a unique opportunity to swim in a 40m saltwater pool, surrounded by Art Deco architecture and green parkland. Pop into Little Al’s to warm up afterwards. 

@droitwichlido

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EAST ENGLAND

Jesus Green Lido

oss-winter-jesus-green @jesusgreenlido

Jesus Green Lido is a very special place to swim. Stretching 90m, it’s one of the longest pools in Europe, designed to mimic swimming in the much-loved Cam. The pool is unheated, but there is a sauna where you can warm up afterwards. 

@jesusgreenlido

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Beccles Lido

oss-winter-beccles-lido @beccleslido

Set on the banks of the River Waveney between Norfolk and Suffolk, Beccles Lido is a popular winter swim. Its heating is turned down to 15c for Winter Chill Swims, from November to March, on Thursday and Friday evenings and Friday and Saturday mornings.

Full timetable and bookings can be found here.

@beccleslido

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Ware Priory Lido

Ware Priory Lido in Hertfordshire is open for its first cold water swimming season from October-April, four mornings a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 7.30-11.00 and Sunday 9.00-12.30. Ticket prices are for one hour and include free tea and coffee in the Warm Room.

The lido water will be warmed up from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day!

@ware.priorylido

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Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre Outdoor Pool

Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre’s outdoor pool will be open to the public throughout the winter season, with the water heated to a minimum of 15c. There are two types of session: paid for cold water swim (30 minutes of social swimming with three double lanes) and a cold water dip (a five-minute session to acclimatise to the water before attending a session free of charge). Cold water swimming sessions run every day of the week.

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LONDON

Parliament Hill Lido

oss-winter-parliament-hill @parliament_hill_lido

This enormous 66m pool is a favourite for many outdoor swimmers with a stainless steel bottom which reflects the low winter sunlight. There is a sauna and café where you can warm up afterwards and the annual Ice Swim Hootenanny with a range of individual, relay and endurance events. Winter timetable, 7:00-13:00.

@parliament_hill_lido

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London Fields Lido

oss-winter-london-fields @ldnfieldslido

London Fields Lido is another enormous 50m pool which remains heated throughout the winter season. There is a café on site and plenty to do on Broadway Market, a two-minute walk across the park. 

@ldnfieldslido

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Oasis Sports Centre

oss-winter-oasis @better_oasissportscentre

A 27.5m heated pool on the edge of Covent Garden. Is this the best-kept secret in London? 

@better_oasissportscentre

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Brockwell Lido

oss-winter-brockwell-lido @brockwell_lido

Brockwell Lido is a snazzy 50m pool in South London, with an excellent poolside restaurant run by Four Hundred Rabbits, serving breakfast, brunch, pizza and drinks. Swim on a Sunday morning and then hop over the road for a mooch around Herne Hill Market. 

@brockwell_lido

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Charlton Lido

oss-winter-charlton-lido @charltonlido

This Olympic-size pool in Greenwich is heated to 25c throughout the winter season. Fitness swimming is always available alongside a range of other gym and sports facilities. 

@charltonlido

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Pools on the Park

oss-winter-pools-on-the-park @poolsonthepark

Another well-kept secret. You can find this heated 33m pool round the corner from Richmond Station. Swim at the weekend and check out Duck Pond Market afterwards. 

@poolsonthepark

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Park Road Lido

Park Road Lido is a 50m heated (22-24c) pool that is open all year round during daylight hours. There are outdoor showers and changing facilities and, during the winter months, swimmers are also able to use the indoor facilities for changing.

The lido has a very active user group committed to keeping the lido open all year round and maximising facilities such as floodlights to extend the swimming hours.

@parkroadlidousergroup

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Hampton Lido

oss-winter-hampton-lido @hamptonpool

Another great option in SW London. Located on the edge of Royal Bushy Park, this heated 36m pool is open all year round. Check the website for details on Moonlight Dip sessions and special Christmas swims. 

@hamptonpool

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SOUTH WEST

Shaftesbury Lido

Popular Dorset community pool open every Saturday morning 8-10am. Hot chocolate is available. Advice on managing yourself in cold water is available from the lido’s manager.

FOSS is a group dedicated to keeping Shaftesbury Lido open all year round. @FOSS_Shaftesburyswimming

 

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Lido Bristol

oss-winter-lido-bristol @lidobristol

Lido Bristol delights with a luxurious interpretation of the lido experience, ideal for a treat during the cold winter months. Enjoy the heated 24m pool, with sauna, steam room and hot tub. Also check out the mouthwatering Instagram below for more details on the poolside bar and restaurant. 

@lidobristol

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Portishead Lido

oss-winter-portishead-lido @portisheadlido

This 33m pool overlooking the Bristol Channel is open on weekends throughout the winter season. Make sure you check out the Portishead Popsicle with friendly relay events and mulled wine. 

@portisheadlido

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Sandford Parks Lido

oss-winter-sandford-parks @sandfordparkslido

This 50m Art Deco pool in the heart of Cheltenham is open throughout the winter season, including a popular Christmas Day swim. 

@sandfordparkslido

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Arundel Lido

You can gaze up at Arundel Castle while winter swimming here! Open during November and January to March from 7.30am-1pm, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

@lidoarundel

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Petersfield Pool

oss-winter-petersfield-pool @petersfieldpool

The pool will stay open until the water drops below 14c, which, thanks to the pool’s new thermal cover, might be much later than you expect! Open four days a week, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 8am-12noon and Fridays 2-6pm. Hot showers, a wood-fuelled sauna and café are available for the post swim warm-up.

@thepetersfieldopenairpool

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Buckfastleigh Pool

oss-winter-buckfastleigh-pool @bflpool

The oldest pool in Devon opens on Sunday mornings throughout the winter months. 

@bflpool

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The Jubilee Pool

oss-winter-jubilee-pool @jubileepoolpz

This iconic Art Deco pool on the edge of Penzance has something for everyone. You can either swim in the UK’s largest seawater pool or enjoy the geothermal option with temperatures up to 35c. Pop into the café afterwards for fresh coffee and cakes from local suppliers.  

@jubileepool

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SOUTH EAST

Faversham Pools

Offers inside and outside swimming all year round. This year it is closed for two weeks in mid-November for maintenance.

@favershampools

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Saltdean Lido Brighton

This 40m lido offers a five-days-a-week Winter Swim Programme, open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 7am until 11am, and heated to 20c. It’s a Grade 2* historic crescent-shaped pool with changing rooms and warm showers.

@saltdeanlido

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Sea Lanes Brighton

Possibly the newest outdoor pool in the UK, Sea Lanes is a 50m, six-lane accessible swimming pool, operated by South Downs Leisure. The pool is supported by local fitness, health and wellbeing, food and beverage businesses and is open all year round, from 6am to 9.30pm weekdays, 6am to early evening at the weekends.

@sealanesbtn

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Pells Pool

Open since 1860, Pells Pool in Lewis is the oldest outdoor spring-fed lido in the UK. Get there quick! The pool is open 7am-11am on weekdays and 8am-12noon on weekends until 1 December. The pool is unheated but there’s a sauna, warm showers and hot drinks.
@pellspool
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Woburn Lido

oss-winter-woburn-lido @woburn_lido

Given to the community in 1911, this 23m pool has been open for over 100 years. The heating is turned off in the winter but there is a café where you can warm up afterwards. 

@woburn_lido

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Chesham Moor

oss-winter-chesham-moor @cheshammoorgym

This historic pool began life as a bathing spot in the 1890s. Now heated to 28c all year round, you can enjoy the winter sunrise with an early morning dip. 

@cheshammoorgym

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Wycombe Rye Lido

oss-winter-wycombe-rye @wycomberyelido

Enjoy this heated 33m pool alongside a range of gym and sport facilities. 

@wycomberyelido

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Thames Lido

oss-winter-thames-lido @thameslido

Close to Reading Station, on the banks of the River Thames, this lido is run by the same team behind Lido Bristol. Enjoy the heated 25m pool with sauna and hot tub. Also have a look at the Instagram below for more details on the poolside bar and restaurant. 

@thameslido

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Lido Jersey

Jersey’s iconic tidal sea pool, Havre des Pas, St. Helier, is open seven days a week and free to use. This year staff have introduced the fun associated with Aprés Ski with a twist for cold water swimmers. Another reason to visit Jersey during the winter!

@lidojersey
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Keeping outdoor swimming venues open 12 months a year

With thanks to the hardworking staff and pop-up catering services of the UK’s outdoor swimming venues. A round of applause to the thousands of volunteers and swim groups who dedicate their time to support these local pools.

A heartfelt thanks to Emma Pusill for her dedication to promoting lidos around the UK. The updated Lido Guide is available here.

Follow Lido Guide on socials: @lidoguide and www.facebook.com/lidoguide.