List of Olympic-size swimming pools in the United Kingdom

Locations of Olympic standard pools in the UK

List of Olympic-size swimming pools in the United Kingdom 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. As of 2011, however, a substantial number of pools have either recently opened, or are under development. The successful bid to hold the 2012 Summer Olympics in London has undoubtedly added impetus to the latter, with a number of new venues due for completion before the Games, although some existing pools are under threat and may not be replaced by 50-metre facilities. As of 2011, no university in the UK possesses an Olympic standard pool, though several have an 8-lane 50-metre pool.

Olympic size pools

Location	Pool/centre name	Pool dimensions		Further information
		Length	Width (lanes)
Cardiff	Cardiff International Pool	50 m	25 m (10)	Part of the Cardiff International Sports Village. Opened 12 January 2008.
Glasgow	Tollcross Park Leisure Centre	50 m	25 m (10)	Second 50 m pool to be added for 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Leeds	John Charles Centre for Sport	50 m	25 m (10)	Formerly South Leeds Stadium.
London	London Aquatics Centre	50 m	25 m (10)	Venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
		50 m	20 m (8)
Sheffield	Ponds Forge International Sports Centre	50 m	25 m (10)	Used for a large number of English and British National events
Sunderland	Sunderland Aquatic Centre	50 m	25 m (10)	Opened 18 April 2008.

Planned or under construction

Location	Pool/centre name	Pool dimensions		Further information
		Length	Width (lanes)
Bangor, County Down	Valentine Playing Fields	50 m	25 m (10)	Being built for North Down Borough Council - due for completion Summer 2012.
Birmingham	Birmingham Aquatics and Leisure Centre (BALC)	50 m	25 m (10)	Initial budget of £58 million cut. Pool expected to be finished by 2014 as part of a Commonwealth Games bid.
Plymouth	Life Centre	50 m	25 m (10)	As part of the new £46.5m Life Centre. Due to open in March 2012.

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.
Banbury	Woodgreen Leisure Centre Woodgreen Leisure Centre	50 m	(8)	Heated open air pool.
Bath	University of Bath Sports Training Village	50 m	(8)	The University of Bath had promoted free student access to prospective students but has recently reneged on that promise without consultation.
Cheltenham	Sandford Parks Lido	50 m	27 m(10)	Open between May and September.
Corby	Corby East Midlands International Swimming Pool	50 m	(8)	Opened July 2009.
Coventry	Coventry Sports And Leisure Centre	50 m	(8)
Crawley	K2 Crawley	50 m	(8)
Crystal Palace	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	50 m	(8)
Ealing	Gurnell Leisure Centre	50 m		Under threat of closure and replacement with new 50 m pool in Acton (see below).
East Kilbride	The Dollan Aqua Centre	50 m	(6)	Currently under refurbishment, due to reopen May 28 2011.
Edinburgh	Royal Commonwealth Pool	50 m	21 m (8)	Built for the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. Site to be refurbished, with 50 m pool retained.
Guildford	Guildford Lido	50 m		An outdoor pool that is open during the summer months only.
Guildford	Surrey Sports Park	50 m	20 m (8)	Part of the University of Surrey.
Hackney	London Fields Lido	50 m	17 m (8)	Lido, opened in 1932, closed in 1988, and re-opened in 2006.
High Wycombe	Wycombe Sports Centre	50 m	(6)
Hillingdon	Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Centre	50 m	20 m (8)	The new indoor pool adjacent to a refurbished Uxbridge Lido, opened on 23 March 2010.
Hitchin	Hitchin Swimming Centre	50 m		Hitchin Swimming Centre sports indoor and outdoor pools. Outdoor pool opens between May–September
Letchworth	Letchworth Outdoor Pool	50 m		Open between May–September
Liverpool	Liverpool Aquatics Centre	50 m	(8)
Loughborough	English Institute of Sport	50 m	20 m (8)	Based at Loughborough University.
Manchester	Manchester Aquatics Centre	50 m	20 m (8)	Only current UK venue with two 50 m pools on the same site. Built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
		50 m	8 m (4)
Norwich	Sportspark	50 m	17 m (8)	Part of the University of East Anglia.
Portsmouth	Mountbatten Centre	50 m	17 m (8)	Run by Parkwood Leisure.
Stirling	National Swimming Academy	50 m	(6)	Part of the University of Stirling.
Stockport	Grand Central Pools	50 m	(8)
Street, Somerset	Millfield School	50 m	(8)	School's private pool, only open to staff and students.
Swansea	Wales National Pool	50 m	21 m (8)	Part of the Swansea University.

Planned or under construction/refurbishment

Location	Pool/centre name	Pool dimensions		Further information
		Length	Width (lanes)
Aberdeen		50 m	20 m or 25 m (8 or 10)*	Aberdeen City Council is proposing a 50 m pool at the site of the current Linksfield Swimming Pool. * Pool width undecided.
Acton		50 m		Ealing Council is considering a 50 m pool at this location. This may result in the demolition of the Ealing 50 m pool, to be replaced with a 25 m pool.
Basildon		50 m		Basildon District Council is planning a "50 m Olympic-sized swimming pool" pool in the town, to be constructed in time to support the 2012 London Olympics.
Bristol	Hengrove Park Leisure Centre	50 m	(10)	Due to open Spring 2012.
Luton	Inspire Luton Sports Village	50 m	(8)	Luton is currently building a 50m, eight lane pool, a diving training centre and a 20m x 10m community pool; due for completion July 2012.
Redbridge		50 m		Architects appointed for new 50 m pool.[citation needed]

Other notable long-course pools

Open

• Tooting Bec Lido — 100 × 33 yards (91.2 × 30.2 metres) open air pool
• Yearsley Swimming Pool, York — 50 × 16 yards (45.7 × 14.6 metres)
• Jesus Green Swimming Pool, Cambridge — 100 × 15 yards open air pool
• Stonehaven Open Air Pool, Aberdeenshire — 55 × 20 yards (50.3 × 18.3 metres) open air, heated seawater pool

Closed

• Murton, Co. Durham the only Olympic-size pool between Leeds and Edinburgh until its closure in 1991 when Murton Colliery closed.
• Broomhill Pool, Ipswich — 55 × 20 yards (50.3 × 18.3 metres) open air pool, plus 5 yard (4.5 metre) diving pit. Subject of campaign to reopen.
• Empire Pool, Wembley (now Wembley Arena). Venue for the 1948 Summer Olympics.
• Leeds International Pool, Leeds — 50 metres, 8 lanes. Closed 21 October 2007; now demolished.
• Wales Empire Pool at Cardiff. Venue for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games; demolished during construction of the Millennium Stadium. Replaced by the Cardiff International Pool.
• White City Stadium swimming pool. Venue for the 1908 Summer Olympics; site demolished in 1985.
• Wigan — 50 metres, 8 lanes. Closed 21 September 2008; scheduled for demolition and replacement with a 25 x 21 m pool, to open in 2010.

See also

• List of Olympic-size swimming pools in the Republic of Ireland

External links

• About Olympic and 50 m Swimming pools in the UK and Ireland
• Images of Olympic Swimming Pools in the UK