New Addington Pools

The leisure centre in New Addington isn't going to stop you dead in your tracks, but if you're staying nearby in Warlingham with kids who need burning out, it does the job properly. The pools themselves are standard - indoor swimming with a shallow end that works for younger swimmers and a deeper section for anyone who actually wants to do lengths. There's usually some kind of splash pad or fun pool area, though I'd ring ahead to check what's operating on the day you visit.

This is pure functionality rather than destination stuff. Families on a park holiday at Milberry Green Meadows, just a couple of miles away, will find it useful for a wet afternoon or when the weather turns. The changing facilities are fine, nothing fancy. Parking is easy enough, which is the main thing when you've got wet kids and towels everywhere.

I'd not plan a day around it, frankly. But as a break from trampolines and board games in a caravan? It fills two hours. Opening times shift seasonally so a quick phone call or Google Maps check before you go saves a wasted trip. Swimming lessons and club training take up chunks of the schedule, so drop-in public swimming times are more limited than you'd think. Worth knowing before you pile everyone in the car.