Northcroft Lido

The outdoor pool at Northcroft is one of those proper English lidos that actually gets used come summer. It's in Newbury, easily accessible if you're staying at Rhodeside Club nearby, and the water's genuinely refreshing rather than tepid pool-water warm.

You get a decent-sized outdoor swimming area - the kind of place families camp out for hours, kids burn energy in the water while parents sit with a coffee. There's shallow end action for younger swimmers, deeper water for proper lengths. The surrounding grass gives you space to spread out a towel without sitting elbow-to-elbow with strangers.

It's the sort of place you visit on a decent day rather than plan your holiday around. Two, maybe three hours max unless you're genuinely keen on swimming all afternoon. The real draw is it's low-key and local - you're not fighting tourist crowds like you might elsewhere. Worth checking opening times and admission costs before you go, but it slots nicely into a park holiday based at Rhodeside.

Best for families with swimmers of any ability, and genuinely useful if you've got energetic kids who need properly wearing out. Less appealing if you're after something more elaborate - no flumes or paddling pools to distract the under-fives, just straightforward lap and splash space.