Stamford Bridge Community Swimming Pool

The leisure centre sits just outside York, serving the local community with a proper working pool rather than a spa retreat. You'll find Olympic-size facilities here alongside a teaching pool - the sort of place where serious swimmers do their lengths and kids take their first strokes without the faffing about you get at tourist-heavy facilities.

It's genuinely useful if you're staying at Bugthorpe Grange or Fox Hill - both within easy reach - and the kids need burning out or you fancy some proper exercise between countryside walks. The teaching pool is where you'll want to be if you're bringing younger swimmers; the main pool has that no-nonsense vibe of a community hub rather than a showpiece.

Working hours aren't straightforward from online sources, so ringing ahead saves a wasted trip - 01904 number would be quickest. Entry fees aren't published on their site either, which suggests it's not pitched at day-trippers, more local membership or casual visits. Plan on a couple of hours maximum, unless you're serious about swimming.

Not the attraction to plan your holiday around, but if you're staying at one of the nearby glamping spots and need to get chlorine out of your system or keep active during rougher weather, it does the job. It's what it is - a proper swimming pool, unpretentious, serving actual swimmers rather than Instagram moments.