Category × County
6 Best Swimming Pools In Tyne and Wear
Two rivers give this county its name, and they also sort its pools. On the Tyne, East End Pool serves the Newcastle side and Haven Point sits where the river reaches the sea. On the Wear, Sunderland Aquatic Centre and Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis & Wellness Centre cover the city and the ground above it. Waves Leisure Centre takes the northern coast and Washington Leisure Centre the ground between the two rivers. Six pools, all flagged indoor, and each bank has its own — which in a county built along water is a neater arrangement than it sounds.
Top swimming pools in Tyne and Wear
Showing 1–6 of 6
Swimming PoolsHaven Point
Swimming PoolsSilksworth Community Pool, Tennis & Wellness Centre
Swimming PoolsSunderland Aquatic Centre
Swimming PoolsEast End Pool
Swimming PoolsWaves Leisure Centre
Swimming PoolsWashington Leisure Centre
Sunderland Aquatic Centre is the serious swimming venue of the six and behaves accordingly, which is excellent for a child having lessons and less so for one who wants to mess about. Haven Point and Waves Leisure Centre are the two at the coast, and both work as the indoor half of a seaside day when the North Sea does what the North Sea does. Washington Leisure Centre is the option for families who are not near either river mouth.
Swimming Pools in Tyne and Wear: FAQs
Which side of the river should we be looking at?
Start with the one you are on, because crossing a river to swim is rarely worth it when both sides are covered. The Tyne side gives you a city pool and a coastal one; the Wear side gives you a major aquatic centre and a community pool. Only bother crossing if you want something the other bank has specifically, such as a serious pool for a child who is training.
Is there any outdoor swimming?
Not on this list. Two of the six records carry an outdoor flag alongside their indoor one, which generally points to something else on the site rather than open-air water, and none of the six is an outdoor pool. If open-air swimming is what you are after, this county is not where our records will find it for you, and you would be looking further afield.
Which is best for a nervous or very young child?
A community pool usually beats a competition one, because the water is shallower, the atmosphere is calmer and the sense of being in somebody's way is much reduced. Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis & Wellness Centre and Washington Leisure Centre are the ones shaped that way. Our records do not list pool depths or the presence of a learner pool, so ring ahead if that is the deciding factor.
The ratings vary more here than elsewhere. Should we care?
A little. The spread across these six is wider than in most counties, running from the low fours down towards the middle threes, and the gap is big enough to be worth noticing when two pools are equally convenient. It is not big enough to justify a long journey. Facilities and timetables change, and a pool that has had work done can move up quickly.