This 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. However, the successful bid to hold the 2012 Summer Olympics in London added impetus to the development of new pools. A number of new venues were completed before and after the Games, although some existing pools were demolished and not replaced by 50-metre facilities.
, no university in the UK possesses an Olympic standard pool, though several have an 8-lane 50-metre pool. The Aberdeen Aquatics Centre, being part funded by the University of Aberdeen, is the main pool facility for the university.
| Location | Pool/centre name | Pool dimensions | Opened | Further information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Width (lanes) | |||||
| Aberdeen | Aberdeen Aquatics Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2014 | Opened 5 May 2014 as part of the Aberdeen Sports Village complex.[1] | |
| Bangor, County Down | Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex[2] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2013 | Plus a 7 lane (15m?) x 25m diving pool at the end of the main pool. | |
| Bristol | Hengrove Park Leisure Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10)[3] | 2012 | Opened 29 February 2012.[4] | |
| Cardiff | Cardiff International Pool | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2008 | Part of the Cardiff International Sports Village. Opened 12 January 2008.[5] | |
| Derby | Moorways Sports Village | 50m | 25m (10) | 2022 | ||
| Glasgow | Tollcross International Swimming Centre[6] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 1997,2013 | The pool was reopened on 24 May 2013 after refurbishment. Second 50 m pool was added for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. | |
| 50 m | 15 m (6) | |||||
| Leeds | John Charles Centre for Sport | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2007 | Formerly South Leeds Stadium. | |
| London | London Aquatics Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2011 | Venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Includes 25 x 25 m diving pool adjacent to main competition pool. | |
| 50 m | 20 m (8) | |||||
| Plymouth | Plymouth Life Centre[7] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2012 | Part of the new £46.5m Life Centre. Opened in March 2012.[8] | |
| Sandwell | Sandwell Aquatics Centre | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2022 | Venue for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, at Londonderry Playing Fields, Smethwick.[9] | |
| Sheffield | Ponds Forge International Sports Centre[10] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 1991 | Used for a large number of English and British National events | |
| Sunderland | Sunderland Aquatic Centre[11] | 50 m | 25 m (10) | 2008 | Opened 18 April 2008.[12] | |
| 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.[14] | |
| Banbury | Woodgreen Leisure Centre[15] | 50 m | (8) | Heated open air pool. | |
| Basildon | Basildon Sporting Village | 50 m | (8)[16] | Constructed by Basildon District Council in time to support the 2012 London Olympics.[17] | |
| Bath | University of Bath Sports Training Village[18] | 50 m | (8) | ||
| Birmingham | University of Birmingham Sports Centre | 50 m | 17 m | As part of new University Sports Centre.[19] | |
| Brighton and Hove | Sea Lanes Brighton | 50 m | |||
| Cheltenham | Sandford Parks Lido | 50 m | 27 m (10) | Heated open air pool, open seasonally between March and October.[20] | |
| Corby, Northamptonshire | Corby East Midlands International Swimming Pool[21] | 50 m | (8) | Opened July 2009. | |
| Coventry | The Alan Higgs Centre[22] | 50 m | (8) | Built to replace the previous 50m pool at Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre which was closed in February 2020 | |
| Crawley | K2 Crawley[23] | 50 m | (8) | ||
| Dagenham | Becontree Heath Leisure Centre | 50 m | (4) | Built in addition to current 10 lane 25m pool, which opened late 2018 [24] The 50m pool is now open for public swimming on weekday mornings and at weekends. | |
| Dundee | Olympia[25] | 50 m | (6) | ||
| East Kilbride | The Dollan Aqua Centre | 50 m | (6) | Recently refurbished, reopened May 28, 2011.[26] | |
| Edinburgh | Royal Commonwealth Pool | 50 m | 21 m (8) | Built for the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. Refurbished 2012.[27] | |
| Guildford | Guildford Lido | 50 m | 27.4 m (10) | An outdoor pool that is open during the summer months only.[28] | |
| Guildford | Surrey Sports Park | 50 m | 20 m (8) | Part of the University of Surrey.[29] | |
| High Wycombe | Wycombe Leisure Centre | 50 m | (8) | Opened Jan 2016 Replacing Wycombe Sports Centre. 8 Lane pool 50m Competition Pool with 4 Lane 20m Community Pool | |
| Hillingdon | Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Centre[30] | 50 m | 20 m (8) | The new indoor pool adjacent to a refurbished Uxbridge Lido, opened on 23 March 2010.[31] | |
| Hitchin | Hitchin Swimming Centre[32] | 50 m | Hitchin Swimming Centre sports indoor and outdoor pools. Outdoor pool opens between May–September | ||
| Letchworth | Letchworth Outdoor Pool[33] | 50 m | Open between May–September | ||
| Liverpool | Liverpool Aquatics Centre[34] | 50 m | (8) | ||
| London Borough of Ealing | Gurnell Leisure Centre[35] | 50 m | (8) | The centre has been permanently closed | |
| London | Brockwell Lido | 50m | |||
| London | Charlton Lido[36] | 50 m | (4) | Lido, Re-opened in 2013; closed from Nov 2013 until April 2014 for refurbishment. | |
| London | Crystal Palace National Sports Centre[37] | 50 m | (8) The Olympic pool has been closed for a while. The 25m training pool is available | ||
| London | London Fields Lido[38] | 50 m | 17 m (8) | Lido, opened in 1932, closed in 1988, and re-opened in 2006. | |
| London | Park Road Lido[39] | 50 m | 23 m | Lido, opened in 1929, significant restoration and redevelopment in 2014/15.[40] | |
| Loughborough | English Institute of Sport | 50 m | 20 m (8) | Based at Loughborough University.[41] | |
| Luton | Inspire: Luton Sports Village | 50 m | (8) | A 50m, eight lane pool, a diving training centre and a 20m x 10m community pool. | |
| Manchester | Manchester Aquatics Centre | 50 m | 20 m (8) | Built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. | |
| 50 m | 8 m (4) | ||||
| Norwich | Sportspark[42] | 50 m | 17 m (8) | Part of the University of East Anglia. | |
| Nottingham | Speedo Sports Centre at the Harvey Hadden Sports Village | 50 m | 21 m (8) | Completed in Summer 2015. | |
| Peterborough | Peterborough Lido[43] | 50 m | 18.5 m (8) | Open air heated lido. Open from end of May to September. | |
| Portsmouth | Mountbatten Centre[44] | 50 m | 17 m (8) | ||
| Stirling | National Swimming Academy | 50 m | (6) | Part of the University of Stirling.[45] | |
| Stockport | Grand Central Pools | 50 m | (8) | ||
| Street, Somerset | Millfield School | 50 m | (8) | School's private pool, only open to staff and students. | |
| Stonehaven | Stonehaven Open Air Pool, Aberdeenshire | 50 m | (8) | Council run public pool, only open June to September. | |
| Swansea | Wales National Pool[46] | 50 m | 21 m (8) | Part of the Swansea University. | |
| Tavistock | Mount Kelly Swim Centre[47] | 50 m | 16 m (8) | Part of Mount Kelly School and funded by Sport England. A 50m long, 8 lane indoor pool, which is open to the community, swimming clubs and pupils of the school. Opened in September 2016. | |
| Winchester | Winchester Sport & Leisure Park | 50 m | (8) | Operated by EveryoneActive for Winchester City Council. Opened in May 2021.[48] | |