Saxon Pool and Leisure Centre

The Saxon Pool sits in Henlow, a proper functional leisure centre rather than a destination attraction in itself. It's the sort of place you'd visit if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Ashridge Farm or Cambridgeshire Lakes - and fancy a swim or a go on the slides rather than another walk around the countryside.

What you get is a standard indoor swimming pool setup: lap lanes, a shallow end for kids, and usually a slide or two depending on what's been updated recently. The centre handles the usual leisure centre activities - aqua aerobics, swimming lessons, that sort of thing. If you've got young children on a rainy Cambridgeshire afternoon, it'll keep them occupied for a couple of hours without breaking the bank.

The real value here is convenience. You're within spitting distance of Cambridgeshire Lakes, which is genuinely excellent for a family caravan holiday, and the pool saves you from being trapped in your van during dodgy weather. It's not worth a special trip from anywhere else, mind you - there's nothing remarkable about the facility itself.

Check their website for current opening times and prices before you go, as leisure centres shuffle their schedules around. Allow two hours if you're bringing kids, an hour if you're just doing some laps yourself. Bring your own towel and goggles unless you fancy renting them. It's the kind of place that does its job competently and gets you back to your holiday without fuss.