Sinclair’s Swimming School

Sinclair's Swimming School is a proper local fixture in Newhaven, the sort of place where you'll see kids splashing about on Saturday mornings and lap swimmers doing their lengths on weekday evenings. It's a functioning swimming pool - nothing fancy, nothing trying to be a leisure complex - just a straightforward spot to get in the water.

If you're staying at Three Ponds Holiday Park nearby, it's close enough for a quick visit if your kids need to burn off energy or you fancy a swim. That said, I'd check ahead on opening hours and entry fees before you trek over - these local pools aren't always obvious about their schedules or whether they run adult sessions alongside the kids' times.

For families, it serves its purpose: a place to practice strokes, splash about, or tire the children out before an afternoon of exploring Sussex. Serious swimmers after lap sessions will get value from it. But I'd be honest - it's not a destination in itself. You won't travel from Brighton just to swim here. It works as part of a park holiday when you're already in Newhaven, not as a reason to choose the area.

The nearest town, Newhaven itself, has the usual seaside bits and pieces - the clifftop views are the real draw there. So if the pool's closed or packed, you're not stuck for alternatives. Worth a morning dip if you're staying locally, but plan around it rather than planning because of it.