This is an annotated list of swimming pools in the United Kingdom which conform to the Olympic standard. Additionally, it lists other long-course facilities that do not quite come up to the full standard of 50 × 25 metres, 10 (middle 8 used) lanes.
At the start of the 21st century, the provision of 50-metre swimming pools in the United Kingdom was very poor for a developed country. Few universities possessed 50-metre pools, and there was a marked reluctance on the part of municipal authorities to build new public long-course facilities. However, the successful bid to hold the 2012 Summer Olympics in London added impetus to the development of new pools. A number of new venues were completed before and after the Games, although some existing pools were demolished and not replaced by 50-metre facilities.
As of 2022[update], no university in the UK possesses an Olympic standard pool, though several have an 8-lane 50-metre pool. The Aberdeen Aquatics Centre, being part funded by the University of Aberdeen, is the main pool facility for the university.
Olympic size pools
| Location | Pool/centre name | Pool dimensions | Opened | Further information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Width (lanes) | ||||
| Aberdeen | Aberdeen Aquatics Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2014 | Opened 5 May 2014 as part of the Aberdeen Sports Village complex.[1] |
| Bangor, County Down | Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex[2] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2013 | Plus a 7 lane (15m?) x 25m diving pool at the end of the main pool. |
| Bristol | Hengrove Park Leisure Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10)[3] | 2012 | Opened 29 February 2012.[4] |
| Cardiff | Cardiff International Pool[5] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2008 | Part of the Cardiff International Sports Village. Opened 12 January 2008.[6] |
| Derby | Moorways Sports Village | 50m | 25m (10) | 2022 | |
| Glasgow | Tollcross International Swimming Centre[5] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 1997, 2013 | The pool was reopened on 24 May 2013 after refurbishment. Second 50 m pool was added for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. |
| 50 m | 15 m (6) | ||||
| Leeds | John Charles Centre for Sport | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2007 | Formerly South Leeds Stadium. |
| London | London Aquatics Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2011 | Venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Includes 25 x 25 m diving pool adjacent to main competition pool. |
| 50 m | 20 m (8) | ||||
| Plymouth | Plymouth Life Centre[7] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2012 | Part of the new £46.5m Life Centre. Opened in March 2012.[8] |
| Sandwell | Sandwell Aquatics Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2022 | Venue for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, at Londonderry Playing Fields, Smethwick.[9] |
| Sheffield | Ponds Forge International Sports Centre[10] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 1991 | Used for a large number of English and British National events |
| Sunderland | Sunderland Aquatic Centre[11] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2008 | Opened 18 April 2008.[12] |
Planned or under construction
| Location | Pool/centre name | Pool dimensions | Further information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Width (lanes) | |||
| Cambridge | Cambridge Sports Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10) | Planned for Phase 3 of the new sports centre (currently at Phase 1) for the University of Cambridge on the West Cambridge Site.[13] |
Other 50 metre pools
| Location | Pool/centre name | Pool dimensions | Further information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Width (lanes) | |||
| Aldershot | Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre | 50 m | 18 m (8) | This is a British Army swimming pool, but it is open to the public at certain times.[14] |
| Banbury | Woodgreen Leisure Centre[15] | 50 m | (8) | Heated open air pool. |
| Basildon | Basildon Sporting Village | 50 m | (8)[16] | Constructed by Basildon District Council in time to support the 2012 London Olympics.[17] |
| Bath | University of Bath Sports Training Village[18] | 50 m | (8) | |
| Bourne | Bourne Lido[19] | 50 yd | (8) | |
| Birmingham | University of Birmingham Sports Centre | 50 m | 17 m | As part of new University Sports Centre.[20] |
| Brighton and Hove | Sea Lanes Brighton | 50 m | ||
| Cheltenham | Sandford Parks Lido | 50 m | 27 m (10) | Heated open air pool, open seasonally between March and October.[21] |
| Corby, Northamptonshire | Corby East Midlands International Swimming Pool[22] | 50 m | (8) | Opened July 2009. |
| Coventry | The Alan Higgs Centre[23] | 50 m | (8) | Built to replace the previous 50m pool at Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre which was closed in February 2020 |
| Crawley | K2 Crawley[24] | 50 m | (8) | |
| Dagenham | Becontree Heath Leisure Centre | 50 m | (4) | Built in addition to current 10 lane 25m pool, which opened late 2018 [25] The 50m pool is now open for public swimming on weekday mornings and at weekends. |
| Dundee | Olympia[26] | 50 m | (6) | |
| East Kilbride | The Dollan Aqua Centre | 50 m | (6) | Recently refurbished, reopened May 28, 2011.[27] |
| Edinburgh | Royal Commonwealth Pool | 50 m | 21 m (8) | Built for the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. Refurbished 2012.[28] |
| Guildford | Guildford Lido | 50 m | 27.4 m (10) | An outdoor pool that is open during the summer months only.[29] |
| Guildford | Surrey Sports Park | 50 m | 20 m (8) | Part of the University of Surrey.[30] |
| High Wycombe | Wycombe Leisure Centre | 50 m | (8) | Opened Jan 2016 Replacing Wycombe Sports Centre. 8 Lane pool 50m Competition Pool with 4 Lane 20m Community Pool |
| Hillingdon | Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Centre[31] | 50 m | 20 m (8) | The new indoor pool adjacent to a refurbished Uxbridge Lido, opened on 23 March 2010.[32] |
| Hitchin | Hitchin Swimming Centre[33] | 50 m | Hitchin Swimming Centre sports indoor and outdoor pools. Outdoor pool opens between May–September | |
| Letchworth | Letchworth Outdoor Pool[34] | 50 m | Open between May–September | |
| Liverpool | Liverpool Aquatics Centre[35] | 50 m | (8) | |
| London Borough of Ealing | Gurnell Leisure Centre[36] | 50 m | (8) | The centre has been permanently closed |
| London | Brockwell Lido | 50m | ||
| London | Charlton Lido[37] | 50 m | (4) | Lido, Re-opened in 2013; closed from Nov 2013 until April 2014 for refurbishment. |
| London | Crystal Palace National Sports Centre[38] | 50 m | (8) The Olympic pool has been closed for a while. The 25m training pool is available | |
| London | London Fields Lido[39] | 50 m | 17 m (8) | Lido, opened in 1932, closed in 1988, and re-opened in 2006. |
| London | Park Road Lido[40] | 50 m | 23 m | Lido, opened in 1929, significant restoration and redevelopment in 2014/15.[41] |
| Loughborough | English Institute of Sport | 50 m | 20 m (8) | Based at Loughborough University.[42] |
| Luton | Inspire: Luton Sports Village | 50 m | (8) | A 50m, eight lane pool, a diving training centre and a 20m x 10m community pool.[43] |
| Manchester | Manchester Aquatics Centre | 50 m | 20 m (8) | Built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. |
| 50 m | 8 m (4) | |||
| Norwich | Sportspark[44] | 50 m | 17 m (8) | Part of the University of East Anglia. |
| Nottingham | Speedo Sports Centre at the Harvey Hadden Sports Village | 50 m | 21 m (8) | Completed in Summer 2015. |
| Peterborough | Peterborough Lido[45] | 50 m | 18.5 m (8) | Open air heated lido. Open from end of May to September. |
| Portsmouth | Mountbatten Centre[46] | 50 m | 17 m (8) | |
| Stirling | National Swimming Academy | 50 m | (6) | Part of the University of Stirling.[47] |
| Stockport | Grand Central Pools | 50 m | (8) | |
| Street, Somerset | Millfield School | 50 m | (8) | School's private pool, only open to staff and students. |
| Stonehaven | Stonehaven Open Air Pool, Aberdeenshire | 50 m | (8) | Council run public pool, only open June to September. |
| Swansea | Wales National Pool[48] | 50 m | 21 m (8) | Part of the Swansea University. |
| Tavistock | Mount Kelly Swim Centre[49] | 50 m | 16 m (8) | Part of Mount Kelly School and funded by Sport England. A 50m long, 8 lane indoor pool, which is open to the community, swimming clubs and pupils of the school. Opened in September 2016. |
| Winchester | Winchester Sport & Leisure Park | 50 m | (8) | Operated by EveryoneActive for Winchester City Council. Opened in May 2021.[50] |
Planned or under construction/refurbishment
| Location | Pool/centre name | Pool dimensions | Further information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Width (lanes) | |||
| Redbridge, London | 50 m | Architects appointed for new 50 m pool.[51] | ||
Other notable long-course pools
Open
- Brockwell Lido – 160 ft (48.77 m) open air pool; opened in 1937, closed in 1990, and re-opened in 1994
- Jesus Green Swimming Pool, Cambridge – 100 by 15 yards (91.4 m × 13.7 m) open air pool
- Lymington Open Air Sea Water Baths (Lymington Lido) – 361 by 164 feet (110.0 m × 50.0 m) open air pool
- Parliament Hill Lido (Hampstead Heath Lido) – 200 ft × 90 ft (61 m × 27 m) unheated open air pool
- Stonehaven Open Air Pool, Aberdeenshire – 55 yd × 20 yd (50.3 m × 18.3 m) heated seawater open air pool
- Tooting Bec Lido – 100 yd × 33 yd (91.4 m × 30.2 m) unheated open air pool
- Yearsley Swimming Pool, York – 48 yd × 17 yd (43.9 m × 15.5 m)[52][53] indoor pool
Closed
- Derby Baths, Blackpool – 50 metres × 21 metres (8 lanes), with diving area and 1,800-seater viewing stadium. Opened in 1939 and closed in 1991.[54]
- Broomhill Pool, Ipswich – 55 by 20 yards (50.3 m × 18.3 m) open air pool, plus 5-yard (4.6 m) diving pit. Subject of campaign to reopen.[55]
- Earls Court 1, Earls Court Exhibition Centre. 60m × 30m pool, up to 4m deep. Opened 1937. A 750 tonne retractable floor in three sections covered the pool when not in use and is lowered using water hydraulic rams. Demolished along with the rest of the Exhibition site. Last filled with water (2,250,000 gals) as a feature for the Ideal Home Show in 2011. Technical Manager Ray Simpson, who had maintained the pool since 1969, retired in July 2013. Earls Court has hosted both the 1948 and the 2012 Summer Olympics, but swimming was not held there on either occasion. The pool was most closely associated with the London Boat Show which was held annually from 1960 until 2003.
- Gurnell Leisure Centre, Ealing. Opened 1981, closed in 2020 (it did not reopen following the COVID-19 lockdowns). The council plans to redevelop the centre, with a new 50m pool.[56]
- Empire Pool, Wembley (now Wembley Arena). Venue for the 1948 Summer Olympics.
- Grange Lido, Cumbria. Open-air sea-water Art Deco 50m pool, opened 1932, closed 1993, with an undecided future but a vigorous campaign for its reopening for swimming.[57]
- Leeds International Pool, Leeds – 50 metres, 8 lanes. Closed 21 October 2007; now demolished.
- Murton Colliery Pool, Murton, County Durham – 50 metre open air pool, built in 1961, and closed in 1991 following the closure of the colliery; filled in.[58][59]
- Wales Empire Pool at Cardiff. Venue for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games; demolished in 1998 during construction of the Millennium Stadium.[60] Replaced by the Cardiff International Pool.
- White City Stadium swimming pool. Venue for the 1908 Summer Olympics; site demolished in 1985.
- Wigan International Pool, Wigan – 50 metres, 8 lanes.[61] Closed 21 September 2008, and subsequently demolished. Replaced by a 25 × 21 m pool at the Wigan Life Centre.[62]
- Coventry Central Baths, Coventry - 50 metres, 8 lanes. Closed 15 February 2020 and will be demolished. Replaced by new 50m pool at Alan Higgs Centre.
See also
References
External links
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