Outdoor seawater pools offer an enchanting "dose of the wild in an enclave of safety", said The Guardian. These "sheltered" areas allow swimmers to enjoy the tide and "rich saltwater" while being protected from the wide ocean's "turbulent waves". The UK is home to many of these breathtaking tidal swimming pools. Here are some of the best.
Bude Sea Pool, Cornwall
This "magical" semi-natural tidal pool (pictured above) is a "safe haven for wild swimming", said CornwallLive. Open year-round and free to splash about in, it is "constantly rated the best in Cornwall", which is home to more than 30 seawater pools.
Built in the 1930s, the pool measures 91m by 45m and holds four million litres of seawater – its depth varies depending on the tide that rushes in two times a day. It's maintained by Friends of Bude Sea Pool (FoBSP), a charity that relies on donations from visitors – its website gives daily tide times and updates the pool's temperature every 10 minutes. A total joy, even in the rain, the Bude Sea Pool can be visited in any season as a safe "alternative to sea swimming", especially for children.
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Tinside Lido, Devon
This "showstopping" lido "jutting out" into Plymouth Sound is a "spacious semi-circle of seawater", said The i Paper. Classified as a Grade II site of historic interest, the Art Deco-style pool opened in 1935 and boasts a capacious sun deck for warming up after taking a dip. With an event space and cafe recently added, it now works as a multi-functional site where visitors can relax, exercise, and eat. The pool is open from May to September with an entry fee of £10 for adults and £8 for children. There are concessions for Plymouth residents.
Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, Kent
Opened in 1937, this Grade II listed "concrete-sided colossus" is enjoyed by swimmers and baby seals alike, said The Times. Spanning four acres, the Walpole Bay Tidal Pool stretches across the seafront in Margate and is fed by both the sea and "freshwater springs from below". It was designed to give visitors access to the water "even when the tide was a long way from the promenade" and is thought to be the UK's largest tidal pool, reaching depths of 1.8m in some places. Free to visit and "perfect for a refreshing swim", said Country & Town House.
Gourock Outdoor Pool, Renfrewshire
One of the "oldest lidos in the UK", this heated saltwater pool in Scotland's Lowlands dates back to 1909, said The Times. The "invigorating" seafront lido overlooks the Clyde Estuary and has a diving board that "draws queues of daredevils in high summer". The Gourock Pool hosts lane swimming and open water sessions throughout the day, and offers tickets for "Starlight Swims after dark" every Wednesday from May to September.
Stonehaven Open Air Pool, Aberdeenshire
This "Olympic-sized pool" seems to have been taken straight from a "Wes Anderson set", said The Telegraph. Opened in 1938 in Aberdeenshire, the Art Deco pool is filled with "seawater taken directly from Stonehaven Bay", filtered and heated to a "toasty" 29°C. It was first used as a place for troops to shower and swim during the Second World War, now the Stonehaven Open Air Pool offers activities for kids and adults, including lane swimming, inflatables and aqua zumba classes. It also hosts moonlight swimming sessions every Wednesday from 10 pm to midnight during summer. Tickets for day and midnight swims range from £4 to £10.
Clevedon Marine Lake, North Somerset
Located on the shore of the Bristol Channel, this tidal infinity pool "is one of the largest outdoor pools in the southwest", said The Times. Popular with "paddlers", the pool is unusually open 24/7, and visitors can hire paddleboards and kayaks to move around and enjoy its waters. The Clevedon Marine Lake is 250m long and relatively shallow; two-thirds of the pool is less than 1.5m deep. It is a space "run by the community for the community", led by a group of local volunteers – the Marlens charity.
