Best outdoor swimming pools and lidos in the UK

Swimming outdoors and wild swimming have surged in popularity in the UK in recent years, with increasing numbers of Brits heading for the country’s beaches, lakes, lidos and outdoor pools to cool off, get fit or just hang out.

While the occasional heatwave may encourage more of us to give al fresco swimming a try many people have embraced the hobby year-round for its numerous health benefits and as an excellent all-round form of exercise.

Luckily, even those who live far from our coasts can take advantage of the UK’s great range of outdoor swimming pools and lidos, with city centres and isolated countryside oases alike offering the ultimate water-based adrenaline rush.

Here’sThe Independent’s roundup of some of our favourite spots for indulging in an al fresco dip, whether you’re a fairweather swimmer who’s waiting for the height of summer, or are poised to take the plunge whatever the weather.

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Built in the 1930s and surrounded by forested hills and fields in the Yorkshire countryside, Ilkley Lido is a popular summer destination for locals. In addition to its outdoor pool and fountain (45m at its widest point), you’ll find tennis courts, picnic areas and a 25m heated indoor pool. The Grade II-listed outdoor pool is divided up so there’s room for serious swimmers and exciteable kids alike to do their thing. While currently closed, it will open again later in spring.

Adult admission is priced at £5.60, while junior (aged three and over) entry costs £2.90. Children under three go free. The website encourages anyone wanting more details to follow their Instagram (@ilkleylido) or sign up for updates on the council website. 

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Billed as “arguably London’s most iconic ‘open water’ swimming location”, the 100m-long Serpentine Lido is located in Hyde Park. It is open to the public on weekends from mid-May every year, and daily from June, with the season finishing in mid-September. Members of the Serpentine Swimming Club – the oldest swimming club in Britain – however are able to swim every day of the year between 5am and 9.30am. Many take part in the lido’s famous swimming race on Christmas Day, which has taken place every year since 1864. Visitors can pick up drinks and snacks in the Lido Café Bar.

During the season, the lido opens at 10am and closes at 6pm every day. Adult full day admission costs £7, while child admission (for ages three to 15) costs £3.50. For morning or afternoon sessions, the prices are £5.50 and £2 respectively. Sunbed hire costs £11.

Another Grade II-listed lido, Lido Ponty was built in 1927 and is the ‘National Lido of Wales’. With three heated swimming pools, the lido has something for everyone, from dedicated swimmers to families on a day out.

A £6.3m restoration project saw the renovation of the 1920s turnstyles, original wooden changing cabins, and the opening of Lido Play, an adventure play area for kids containing swings, slides and tunnels. Fuel up with sweet and savoury waffles, including vegan and gluten-free options, at The Waffle House Caffi Lido. The Visitor Centre tells the story of the lido.

Under-15s pay no admission fee, while the price for adults is £3. The lido opens for the season later in the spring, when the temperatures of the three pools is turned up; until then it’s running occassional limited cold water swim sessions. Check the website for further details.

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In 2010, restoration plans were announced that included 102 apartments alongside this historic lido site in Brighton. Fast forward to 2024 and the lido has been restored to its former glory, including the original 1937 crescent-shaped pool.

While restoration works on the main building continue, the 40m pool, shallow kids’ pool, play area, sauna, gym, library and lawns are open. A café will be opening soon, with an airstream trailer providing snacks and ice creams in the meantime.

Until 28 April, the lido is open at weekends only (8am to midday), though the sauna is also open Wednesday to Friday between 8am and 2pm, and 4pm and 7pm.

Between the end of April and October the pool is open every day between 7am and 7pm, with extended hours during the school holidays.

One hour of swimming costs £6 for an adult and £3.50 for anyone aged between three and 17 years. Prices for an eight-hour admission (between 10am and 5.45pm) are £12 and £8 respectively. Kids aged up to two years old go free.

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A “semi-natural tidal pool” dating back to the 1930s, where you can enjoy a wild swim in the Atlantic Ocean, Bude Sea Pool is a free-to-enjoy salt water pool that is maintained by a charity, Friends of Bude Sea Pool. Visitors are politely asked to leave a donation.

Temperature can vary due the nature of the pool being filled up by the tide. The highest you’ll find it, in the summertime, is around 18C, while in April the mercury hits 11C. Size-wise, the pool is roughly 91m in length and 45m in width – plenty of space in which to cool down during the summer. Its depth varies depending on how much sand and pebbles the tide brings in.

The pool is open all year round, although people are asked not to swim at night unless part of an organised group – night swimming sessions take place on Mondays and Thursdays, 5.30pm-6.30pm (until 21 March, but more may be announced). The pool doesn’t have dedicated lifeguards (although Summerleaze Beach does), but the ‘Pool Crew’ are on hand from April (weekends only, 10am-6pm), then between 10am and 6pm daily in May and June and between 9.30am and 6pm in July and August. Check the website for timings in the autumn.

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The summer season at this 50m heated pool – the UK’s largest outdoor swimming pool – opens on 4 May, with the lido open for cold water swimming until then.

Offering yoga, triathlons, lifeguard training and even dog swims, the lido provides a variety of activities over its four acres of gardens in Cheltenham. There’s also a shallow pool for children, complete with a small slide.

The lido also offers several special events throughout the summer, ranging from midnight swims to alfresco cinema.

The lido is open from 6.30am to 7.30pm during the week and from 7am until 7.30pm on weekends. However, it pays to keep an eye on the schedule as various times are reserved for clubs and members.

Adult admission is priced at £7.30, while concessions (including children) cost £5. There are deals offered for families of two, three and four people, priced at £8, £14 and £16 respectively.

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Originally opened in 1934, the UK’s “only Art Deco Olympic-sized sea water lido” served as a bathing facility for locally-based troops during the Second World War.

The summer season opens in late May, with the heated pool providing fun sessions for kids, the opportunity for quiet swims and lessons, and even a separate paddling pool for under-eights.

The complex also also has sheltered sun terraces, an on-site café and free parking. It offers live entertainment on weekends as well as several different events throughout the season, including midnight swims, water zumba and inflatables sessions.

Adult day tickets cost £6.60 while junior tickets (for ages between six and 18 years) are priced at £4.15. Kids under five swim free when accompanied by an adult.

Between opening and 7 July, the pool is open from 1pm until 7.30pm during the week and from 10am until 6pm at the weekend. During peak season – from 8 July until 21 August – it opens between 10am and 7.30pm during the week and 10am until 6pm on the weekend. The pool is also open from 10pm until midnight on Wednesdays in peak season (pre-booked is advised).

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Perched at the tip of Plymouth Hoe and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Tinside Lido’s location and Art Deco style make it one of the most scenic lidos in the country. The pool was built in 1935 and is Grade II-listed. A popular attraction for locals and tourists alike, the salt-water pool sits alongside a café, shop and toilets.

From 27 May to 17 September, the lido is open between 10am and 6pm every day during school holidays, with several 30-minute breaks between sessions. During term time, the pool opens from noon until 6pm on weekdays and 10am until 6pm on weekends.

Tickets for a public swim cost £8 for adults and £6 for concessions (£5.70/£4.55 for Plymouth residents).

Open between May nad November each year, Pell’s Pool is the oldest outdoor public swimming pool in the UK – it first opened in 1861. Located near Lewes, the 46m-long main pool is unheated and spring-fed, while there is also a paddling pool for kids, a sun terrace and a tree-lined lawn.

Picnics are encouraged, and there’s also a kiosk serving hot drinks, soft drinks, ice creams and snacks (people bringing their own cups get a discount). With no other activities on offer, it’s the perfect opportunity to just sit back and enjoy the weather.

Adult admission is priced at £3.70 for a one-hour swim and £4.75 for a three-hour session. Children under five go free, while those aged between five and 15 cost a flat rate of £1.50.

In the early season, the pool is open from 7am until 6.30pm during the week, although different sessions (such as lane swimming, gentle swims and open sessions) take place at different parts of the day. On weekends, adult-only lane swimming takes place from 9am until 12pm, while open sessions are every day 1pm until 5pm. The pool closes each day for one hour, usually between either 11am and 12pm or 12pm and 1pm.

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Located on the edge of Hampstead Heath and built in 1938, Parliament Hill Lido was the biggest of the 13 lidos built by London County Council between the two world wars – it’s 60m long. Unheated (you can check on X for fairly regular updates as to the water temperature on any given day), it’s open every day of the year and is run by the Parliament Hill Lido User Group.

The café (also open daily) is run by Hoxton Beach and serves “100 per cent vegan and about 80 per cent Lebanese” cuisine, as well as various coffees, teas, pastries, cakes and cooked breakfasts. There’s a sauna in winter.

During the winter season, until early May, the pool is open between 7am and 1pm. Opening hours during the summer season are 7am until 8.30pm.

Prices per session are £4.50 for adults, £2.70 for concessions and £1.40 for juniors.

One-hour sauna sessions cost £3.30, and run from 7am to 1pm daily.

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