Can anyone suggest a good pool to go to if I am in central Birmingham? I know the council has a list online but it’s hard to tell which ones are good and how easy they might be to get to.

Any suggestions?

Lots of canals…

You still staying near Solihull? If so, the Solihull pool is good. If not, Harbourne is OK.

There’s not any council ones in the centre. The closest would be moseley road, you should check it out anyway as it’s a beautiful victorian swimming baths and it will be closed at the end of this year. Wyndley pool is ok, but it depends on the time. If you go after work it needs to be on a Monday otherwise half the lanes are taken with lessons. Not been to Harborne.

Newtown baths. Newtown is a bit **** rough, but I’ve always survived going there. The Bartons Arms over the road is well worth a visit too.

Either we think alike, or it’s a really obvious comment – exactly the words I had in mind as I opened the thread!

Not sure where in Brum it is (or even was) but I went to one up there about 25 years ago with some massive diving boards. Managed to rip my shorts and bruise my feet of the 10 meter platform.
The fact it was 25 years ago has made me feel very, very old. 😯

Worth travelling to Solihull, baths there are very good.

aracer – Member

Either we think alike, or it’s a really obvious comment – exactly the words I had in mind as I opened the thread!

Probably a bit of both…

More seriously, when I lived in Brum I worked just off Broad Street, and the council gave serious consideration to a proposal to open up part of the Gas Street canal basin for open water swimming! Makes me shudder just thinking about it…

If only Sutton Park lido hadn’t been visited by the arsonists! How the hell do you burn down an open air swimming pool??

T’was rat infested anyway

Solihull’s not far – could be a good option for a good pool.

It would be awesome if you could use the canals to go for a swimming loop like you would go for a run. If the water’s too bad, maybe you could get some scuba gear and some kind of underwater sonar goggles to see through the murk.

Apparently Aston University baths are nice.

Apparently Aston University baths are nice.

That’s a very good shout, they are very good indeed. Not sure how open to the public they are but they’re certainly worth looking at.

molgrips – Member

Solihull’s not far – could be a good option for a good pool.

Me being a dick aside, another shout for Solihull – v clean and decent size pool.

The one by the station?

The one by the station?

Yeah, Tudor Grange I think it’s called.

Used to go here as a student many moons ago.

Aside from that the title of this thread makes me think of Alan Partridge pitching TV ideas.

Lol!

Stetchford had some baths, went there once.
If its high boards your after Walsall has a 10m one.

Aston uni has nice victorian baths which are open to public. Tudor Grange are also good baths in Solihull.

+1 on Aston uni baths. Used to head up there during my lunch break and get a mile in. It’s about 4/5 mins from the very centre (like the Bull ring) by bike but it would take about 20 minutes to walk.

Changing cubicles around the edge of the pool, it might be 25 yards rather than metres!

I read something about a new 50m pool going in at Aston university…

If its high boards your after Walsall has a 10m one.

Errr.. No ta!

Walsall’s got a brine pool – I was never tempted

Linky: Sir Doug Ellis pool

Hasn’t Sparkhill supposed to have a nice new pool and leisure centre?

Another vote for Tudor grange Solihull, council sold it off to a private company they tore down the old leisure center and built a new one pretty much next to where the old one was.

Sparkhill old swimming baths had loads of character and a good pool but the council closed it must be 10 years ago, building is still there but I dread to think what’s in there now.

Wyndley Leisure centre in Sutton Coldfield is good. Bit out of the centre of Brum, but no further than Solihull. Has 2 x 25m pools. One is a leisure pool the other is split into 6 lanes. I used to go as it opened at 6.30am, so could get a good swim and be in B’ham centre for 8am

I’d second all the Tudor Grange, Solihull suggestions, although I never seem to get in there when it isn’t full of lane-hogging arseholes.

If you go private, the pool(s) at the Virgin club at Blythe Valley, Solihull are also excellent. But you need to be a member.