The Lido

Set in safe, secure and well-maintained grounds overlooking the countryside, the Lido at Chipping Norton is an oasis in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, whether you are looking for family fun or a serious swim! You can't get better summer's day exercise than a family splash about. With 25m of crystal clear water to enjoy, a water slide at the deep end, a toddler pool, and a cafe, there is something for everyone to enjoy, whatever their age or swimming ability, so bring everyone from granddad to the bouncing babes.

The weather shouldn't be a deterrent as the water is heated to a minimum of 28 C, so even in a traditional British summer you can take the plunge and enjoy a swim, but off season you might want to take smaller kids a wet suit rather than cozzie. The lido's friendly environment is also a great place to learn to swim, with fully qualified teachers and experienced teaching assistants working alongside the children, offering plenty of support and encouragement. Lessons runs for the first 4 weeks of the summer holidays so plenty of time to get started on not-sinking!

It is an impressively environmentally minded endeavour that is run by local people as a charity, so actually there's a bit of secret schooling to be had if you avail yourselves of the informative volunteers. It's also a Use It Or Lose It affair: the more you go the better you can feel about yourselves because you're helping ensure that it'll still be there next year! What a great excuse!