Sport Nottingham

Sport Nottingham is the city's main sports and leisure complex, and it's the sort of place you'll want to know about if you're camping nearby and the weather turns grim. Located just over a mile from the town centre, it houses swimming pools, a gym, sports halls, and climbing walls - basically everything you need when the forecast looks dodgy and the kids are restless.

The pools are the real draw here. There's an indoor leisure pool that's warm and fairly forgiving for younger swimmers, plus a larger competition pool if anyone in the family fancies proper lengths. The climbing wall suits all abilities, from nervous first-timers to people who actually know what they're doing. Sports halls run regular badminton, basketball, and volleyball sessions if you want to join in rather than just watch.

For families on a caravan holiday at Holme Pierrepont Campsite or the Bell Tent Village Parks - both within walking distance - this is genuinely useful. It breaks up the day without eating into your whole afternoon. Solo athletes and serious swimmers will get proper use out of it. Casual visitors? Less so, unless you've got bored teenagers or a toddler who needs burning out.

Admission costs vary depending on what you use, but it's not expensive. Ring ahead to check current opening hours before you go - these places sometimes shuffle their timetables around. Allow a couple of hours if you're doing the pool and one other activity.