Guildford Lido - (Near Hampshire, UK)

5 /5 Vic West: Loved evening lane swimming here in summer and now love that its open all year round. The water is heated, although still cold, but perfect for wetsuit swimming if youre into open water swimming - many people brave it without wetsuits fine tho! Its nice and quiet over winter so you get a lane to yourself, unlike packed indoor pools. The pool is now considerably clearer than summer too and the hot showers and clean changing rooms help with it getting colder into winter. Thank you Lido team who are keeping it open and clean, looking forward to the new additional facilities being added soon!

5 /5 G Cinna: Exceeded expectations and for only £8 per person, it represented excellent value for money. It is a busy place but we still had a very enjoyable time and it was perfect for the heatwave! The pool was clean and the grit that many complain about it is coming from people walking barefoot into the water. Staff very efficient and doing their best to make sure everyone had a great time.

4 /5 Agnieszka Maciejowska: A very pleasant spot. The only thing missing is more space for children, such as a playground with sand, etc. Swings and slides. Overall, a very positive experience. We went on a day when the weather wasnt great, but it was still great and we had a fantastic time, and the water, despite the 21 degrees outside, was very pleasant.

5 /5 Richard Perkins: Im conflicted. On the own hand I want to sing the Lidos praises. But on the other I dont want it to become popular. But that ship may have sailed! Id like it to be economically viable. But stop shy of busy! But if the recent queues are anything to go by then Im going to be disappointed! I come for the morning swim session before the crowds. There are nine lanes. Three each for fast, medium and slow. And the good people of Guildford are wonderfully accommodating of speed differences within those lanes. The staff do a remarkable job of keeping the pool clean. Occasionally there are unattractive clumps of matted hair at the bottom. Theres the inevitable sand or grit that collects. And its not immune to a stray plaster. But I think theyve got themselves an underwater hoover because its looking good at the moment. And for someone who spends 45 minutes with his head down looking at the bottom, thats a much more pleasant view. Im surprised there are only two male showers. I may have missed the others. But in the morning Ive only had to wait a couple of times for them to become free. The lack of bike storage is scandalous for a leisure organisation. This gets used up very quicky in the morning session. There are four bike stands on the left hand side of the entrance and four spaces for bikes on the right hand side if theyre not instructed by mopeds. Apparently there are plans to improve bike parking. This place is a real gem. Its brightened my first summer in Guildford.

5 /5 ZippyLondon: We bought tickets before seeing the reviews (rookie move) and almost didn’t bother going thinking it would be akin to Sodom and Gomorrah. Spoiler: it wasn’t. We parked (on instruction) at the college next door; it was free, but I suspect we were only allowed there as term had finished (at least for college students). It was a ridiculously hot day (August 11) and we were told there was something like 2,500 people there. While there were lots of kids, it was mainly pre-school as the term hadn’t come to an end. We arrived at 10:30. It took us less than three mins to get in and on our way. It looked (and was) clean and well maintained. We found ourselves a spot by the hedge in the park to the right (where Mexican cafe is). Yes, it got busy, but there was enough space for everyone. The pool is a little chilly when you jump in, but you get used to it very quickly. Most people were well behaved and only one or two played music (but not very loud). We’d come prepared with our own chairs, cool box and food - this was the best idea. Would we go back? Absolutely.