From an infinity pool with sauna in Scotland to a restored Victorian gem in Bristol, Britain offers numerous destinations where swimmers can enjoy outdoor pools in comfort throughout the year. These facilities combine heritage with modern amenities, attracting visitors seeking the health and social benefits of open-water swimming regardless of season.
What makes heated lidos special?
Heated outdoor pools offer a unique combination of fresh air and warm water, drawing swimmers year-round. At least 29 UK lidos remain open throughout the year, with 16 featuring saunas, reflecting growing demand for year-round swimming facilities. Many have undergone significant restoration in recent years, transforming historic sites into modern wellness destinations.
Portavadie, Argyll
Situated on the banks of Loch Fyne on Scotland's west coast, Portavadie occupies a site originally designated for oil rig development before those plans were abandoned. The location now functions as a marina with holiday accommodation, dining and retail facilities, alongside a leisure centre housing what is believed to be Scotland's largest heated outdoor infinity pool. The complex also provides outdoor spa pools, a sauna, an indoor swimming facility and gymnasium, with treatments including massages and facials available. The entire operation runs on renewable energy from a woodchip biomass generator, offering views across the loch toward the Isle of Arran. Entry costs £14 for a 90-minute session including the pool, sauna and hot tub.
Beccles Lido, Suffolk
Beccles, a market town on the southern edge of the Broads national park, has a long swimming tradition. An enclosed bathing facility was excavated from the River Waveney in 1894, later replaced in 1959 by an unheated riverside pool. Fifty years later, this evolved into a three-pool lido complex. This year marks a significant change: the pools will be heated to 28°C during winter months for the first time. The facility reported more than 65,000 visitors during the summer and said the 28°C winter-temperature trial followed a record-breaking year. The trial will run through 3 January 2027, with potential extension through the end of March if demand justifies it. The 30-metre main pool features a springboard and slide, complemented by toddler and splash pools, a wood-fired sauna and cafe. Programming includes lane swimming, family sessions and aqua fitness classes. Adult entry begins from £7.40.
Hathersage Swimming Pool, Derbyshire
The Peak District village of Hathersage celebrated its 30-metre outdoor pool's 90th anniversary in July. A local philanthropist named George Lawrence donated the facility to the village; Lawrence was killed during the Sheffield blitz. The original coke boiler, which maintained water temperatures at a maximum of 20°C, has been replaced with a contemporary renewable heating system currently maintaining 27°C. The pool operates daily year-round with reduced hours from November through March, offering hot poolside showers and a sauna from October onwards. Regular night swims accompanied by live music and a cafe serving hot beverages and homemade meals add to its appeal. Adult admission is £8.
Thames Lido, Reading, Berkshire
King's Meadow in Reading hosts a riverside pool that originally opened in 1902 exclusively for female swimmers, drawing water directly from the Thames. The facility converted to mains water during the 1950s, closed in the 1970s, and underwent a three-year restoration before reopening in 2017. The 25-metre pool maintains a year-round temperature between 20–24°C, while a hot tub reaches 38–40°C. Additional facilities include a sauna, steam room, cold-water drench bucket and distinctive ship funnel shower. Massage bookings are available. An upscale poolside restaurant opens at 9am for breakfast featuring homemade granola, bacon sandwiches and Turkish-style eggs, with lunch and dinner service daily offering dishes such as crab tagliatelle or Ibérico pork. A two-hour session including swimming, sauna, steam and hot tub costs from £25.
Chesham Moor, Buckinghamshire
The Chesham Moor sports centre pool traces its origins to a deep puddle used for bathing in the 1890s. Today it functions as a 25-metre spring-fed lido upgraded in 2023 with a Nasa-designed ionisation unit that maintains low chlorine levels. Solar panels power the facility, which maintains a year-round temperature of 27°C, though extremely cold weather may cause slight temperature drops. Daily programming combines lane and general swimming with aqua fitness sessions and swim masterclasses. Outdoor circuit classes, tennis courts, a nearby riverside walk and a cafe serving hot drinks, sausage rolls, sandwiches and cake complete the offering. Adult entry is from £7.
Sea Lanes, Brighton, East Sussex
Opened in 2023, Sea Lanes functions as a beachfront stepping stone to open-water swimming, featuring a 50-metre, six-lane pool maintained at a minimum of 19°C year-round. Coaching accommodates all abilities, from beginners to experienced open-water swimmers and triathletes. Three food and beverage operators serve the facility: Fika provides brunch and coffee, Wood x Coal prepares lunch and dinner over fire, and Bison Beer offers 14 draught beers alongside wine and cocktails. Four miles along the seafront lies a 40-metre crescent-shaped modernist pool built in 1938, which opens only during December when heated to 19°C, with a separate operation running concurrently. Adult admission to Sea Lanes is £11.90.
Hampton Pool, London
Constructed in 1922, this 36-metre pool adjacent to Bushy Park in south-west London operates under charitable management. It remains open 365 days annually, maintaining a tropical 28°C temperature. A 12.5-metre learner pool, gymnasium, fitness classes and Sundeck Cafe serving porridge, soup and jacket potatoes complement the main facility. Regular events including moonlight and festive swims enhance the experience. Londoners benefit from numerous heated outdoor pool alternatives: a 50-metre facility at 24°C, a 27.5-metre central London option with sauna at 26°C, a 50-metre pool at 22°C, a Richmond location at 33 metres and 25°C, and a Crouch End facility spanning 50 metres at 22–24°C.
Lido Ponty, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Designated as the National Lido of Wales, Pontypridd's facility opened in 1927 and has welcomed notable swimmers including a young Tom Jones. Following a £6.3 million restoration completed in 2015, the venue now operates three heated pools: a main pool, activity pool and splash pool. Summer temperatures reach 28°C, but winter sees a deliberate reduction to a bracing 14–15°C. Cool-water swimming sessions are scheduled for weekends from 24 October to 28 November, restricted to ages 16 and over. Hot outdoor and indoor showers, plus heated indoor changing facilities, provide comfort. Those preferring warmer conditions can attend Boxing Day and New Year's Day swims, when temperatures return to 28°C. Adult entry is £4.
Bristol Lido
This Victorian outdoor swimming pool opened in 1850, closed in 1990 and faced potential conversion into residential flats. Instead, businessman Arne Ringner purchased and restored the facility, reopening it in 2008. Ringner later acquired Thames Lido in Reading. The 24-metre pool maintains 20–24°C year-round, with sauna, steam room and hot tub facilities. A poolside restaurant and bar hosts regular supper clubs. Upcoming events include synchronised swimming performances, Christmas lunches and dinners priced at £35 or £50 for three courses, and a New Year's Eve celebration offering a two-hour swim and five-course dinner for £135. A two-hour session including swimming, sauna, steam and hot tub costs from £25.
Faversham Pools, Kent
Faversham Pools comprises three heated outdoor pools: a 33-metre lido with three diving boards at 1, 3 and 5 metres, a fun rapids pool and a toddler pool featuring slides. A 25-metre indoor pool and whirlpool bath provide additional facilities. While smaller pools operate only from April through September, the lido remains open year-round with reduced winter hours from September to April, offering lane swimming only for those aged 16 and over on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4–7pm and Sundays from 8–11am. The on-site cafe serves warming homemade dishes including soups such as Thai butternut squash or Egyptian lentil, toasties, macaroni cheese and curries. Adult entry is £8.50.
The broader lido revival
Britain's heated lido sector reflects a wider cultural shift toward year-round outdoor swimming. Labour MPs and the Fabian Society have urged water companies to fund the reopening of Britain's historic lidos, highlighting their cultural and health benefits amid rising outdoor swimming popularity. Many facilities combine traditional heritage with contemporary wellness offerings, positioning themselves as social destinations beyond simple swimming venues.
What happens next
Several facilities have announced upcoming seasonal programming. Beccles Lido will maintain its 28°C temperature through early January 2027, with decisions on extending the trial through March depending on visitor numbers. Lido Ponty's cold-water swimming programme runs through late November before the facility closes briefly ahead of its festive-season heated events. These developments suggest growing investment in year-round heated pool infrastructure across the UK, catering to swimmers seeking comfort and wellness throughout the seasons.
