Tarleton Academy Swimming Pool

The pool at Tarleton Academy is a proper local affair - a working school facility that opens to public swimmers outside of school hours. It's a standard 25-metre pool with a learner section, so families with young kids who need shallow water will find what they need. Nothing fancy, but it does the job.

You'll get a decent 45 minutes to an hour's swim here before restlessness sets in, especially for older children. The changing facilities are basic but functional. It's the sort of place you visit because you're staying nearby and want to tire the kids out on a rainy afternoon, not because you've planned a special trip around it.

If you're camped at Riverside Holiday Park or Leisure Lakes Caravan, Camping and Outdoor Pursuits Centre - both within a few miles - this becomes handy for breaking up the day. Head into Tarleton itself first though; it's a proper village with a decent pub and some good walks alongside the River Douglas if the weather's decent.

Contact the academy directly for current opening times and admission prices, as these shift with term dates. Expect to pay a few quid per person - nothing steep. The pool isn't a destination in itself, but it's genuinely useful if you've got restless swimmers and you're staying in the area for a week. Better still, combine it with a walk around the surrounding countryside or a stop at one of the local caravan parks that often have their own facilities.