Splash down in our best lidos
The BIG list
1 COMBINE A CAPITAL DIP AND A TRIP TO THE ZOO PARLIAMENT HILL LIDO, LONDON Opened in 1938, North London’s best lido is unheated but has plenty of period charm. Combine your visit with a trip to London Zoo or explore neighbouring Hampstead Heath. Some swimmers head for the natural swimming ponds on the Heath but the lido is best for families. Come early in good weather as there are often queues, but there’s plenty of space inside – 18,000sq ft of water. Adult and child day ticket £10, 020 7485 3873, cityoflondon. gov.uk/things-to-do
2 HAVE A BRINE OLD TIME IN CHESHIRE NANTWICH OUTDOOR BRINEPOOL During the First World War, recuperating soldiers came to bathe in a natural ‘salt pit’ near Chester. In 1935, during a nationwide craze for outdoor swimming, a lido was built using a mixture of brine from the pit’s natural spring and locally pumped fresh water. The pool is hugely popular in summer. Adults £5, children £4.20, 01270 685590, everybody.org.uk/ centres/nsp
3 DIVE INTO A STYLISH POOL AND A TAPAS FEAST CLIFTON LIDO, BRISTOL This pool, which dates from 1850, was given a stylish revamp a few years ago. Its new extension includes a spa and a restaurant. If you book a package including a meal, you can usually jump the queues (the Swim, Tapas And Wine package for £40 is a good option), but be aware there’s room for only 63 swimmers in the pool at any time. Adults £20 (no child reduction) 1pm-4pm, 0117 933 9530, www.lidobristol.com
4 MAKE A SPLASH IN GOD’S OWN COUNTRY ILKLEY POOL AND LIDO, WEST YORKSHIRE On the edge of the Dales, this lido allows families to soak up the sun with a backdrop of proper Yorkshire scenery. You’ll also find tennis courts, a putting green, bowling and – if the weather turns – an indoor pool. Adults £7.90, children £3.90, 01943 600453, bradford.gov.uk
5 SEA WATER FUN IS JOUST THE JOB FOR KIDS LYMINGTON SEA WATER BATHS, HAMPSHIRE On the edge of the New Forest, the Lymington Sea Water Baths (also known as Lymington Lido) were built in 1833, though a sea water swimming facility existed there in the 1780s. The lido boasts a 361ft-long pool, one of the largest in the UK, which is particularly great for kids – come summer there are huge inflatable obstacle courses and activities including aqua-jousting. Adults £3, children £2, 01590 678882, lymington seawaterbaths.org.uk
6 IMMERSE YOURSELF IN BUCOLIC BLISS PELLS POOL, LEWES, EAST SUSSEX Thought to be the oldest lido in the UK, this pool opened more than 150 years ago and originally offered early morning sessions for working men to bathe before they headed to their labours. Fed by an underground spring and surrounded by lawns, it’s a bucolic slice of Sussex countryside. There’s a small cafe on site. Adults £4.50, children £2.20, 01273 472334, pellspool.org.uk
7 A SLICE OF CORNISH FUN – WITH PEPPERONI ON TOP JUBILEE POOL, PENZANCE, CORNWALL This Art Deco gem in Cornwall has a main triangular pool for adults with a shallow section for children. Opened in 1935, the attraction has been renovated and it reopened in 2016. It now houses a good cafe, and in the summer you can round off an evening swim with pizza. Adults £5, children £3.50, 01736 369224, jubileepool.co.uk
8 PLUNGE INTO THE ULTIMATE ROCK POOL BUDE SEA POOL, CORNWALL Walkers on the South West Coast Path can take a dip when they reach Summerleaze Beach in Cornwall. Built into the rocks, this pool is one of the last tidal lidos in the UK – it is topped by sea water from high tides each day. Free, 01288 354240, budeseapool.org
9 A WARM WELCOME, EVEN AT MIDNIGHT STONEHAVEN OPEN AIR POOL, ABERDEENSHIRE Hardy Scots have been coming to this Aberdeenshire salt-water lido since 1934 (although it is heated to 84F). It’s family-friendly, with slides, inflatables and a paddling pool for small children. On Wednesdays during the summer there are evening swims from 10pm until midnight. Adults £5.45, children £3.35, 01569 762134, stonehaven openairpool.co.uk
10 IT’S NOT UNUSUAL TO HEAD FOR THESE POOLS LIDO PONTY, PONTYPRIDD This Grade II listed lido, built in 1927, was where Welsh heart-throb Tom Jones worked on his early tans. It now has three heated pools, including a splash facility for younger children, large inflatables and paddleboarding. A major renovation in 2016 kept original features such as wooden changing cubicles and added a cafe. £2.50, under-16s free, 0300 004 0000, lidoponty.co.uk