What better way to enjoy a summer’s day than with a refreshing swim? When you stay with us here in Taunton you’re spoilt for choice in terms of places to take a dip. Here are just a few of our favourites for you to discover:
Indoor Pools
Taunton Pool, Station Road
Open 7 days a week, the main pool is an impressive 33.3 metres long giving you plenty of opportunity to get those laps in! There are family-friendly changing facilities as well as a health suite where you’ll find a sauna and steam room to enjoy after your swim. Best of all, it’s less than 5 minutes walk from the Town House!
Blackbrook Leisure Centre, Blackbrook Way
Open 7 days a week, the leisure centre boasts a wide range of facilities including first-class tennis facilities, a state-of-the-art gym and fitness studio, main and teaching pools and a large sports hall.
Holly Farm Swimming Pool, Stoke St Gregory
The 12m indoor pool at Holly Farm is housed in a purpose-built modern facility on the outskirts of Taunton. Available for private hire, the pool is also used for classes such as aqua zumba, a low impact workout in the water that’s suitable for all levels of fitness.
Outdoor Pools
Wivey Pool, Wiveliscombe
Located in the heart of Wiveliscombe, a short drive from Taunton, Wivey pool is a 27 metre outdoor heated pool that is open to all. Offering family swims, lane swimming, aqua aerobics and aqua circuits, there’s something for everyone.
Wild Swimming
For many, the thrill of wild swimming can’t be beaten. Here are a few spots in Somerset where you can get back to nature and enjoy swimming in a river, lake or even a waterfall.
Cow Castle, Barle
Here you’ll find a deepish, small pool of around 10m x 20m x 1.5m deep in the babbling river Barley. Discover the beautiful wild scenery around you beneath the ancient hill fort of ‘Cow Castle’.
Sherdon and Landacre
Discover a small junction pool just upstream from the popular paddling location at Landacre Bridge. The pool area is open and sunny with plenty of grass but be prepared for some small areas of boggy ground.
Long Pool, Watersmeet
Watersmeet is a famous National Trust area of wooded river walks. Close to the teashop there is a waterfall or gorge with some small plunge pools, but walk around 1.5km along the banks and you’ll find the Long Pool. Set under a waterfall is an eerie long ravine and pool overgrown with ferns and oaks. Very deep water and some 50 metres long, this is a stunning location to wild swim.
River Parrett, Muchelney/Cocklemoor
This is a beautiful spot for wild swimming. Set amongst the backdrop of the Somerset Levels, this stretch of the River Parrett is deep and long enough to enjoy a proper swim. It’s also refreshing to see a Town Council encouraging water sports. There are steps and a pontoon down into the water at Cocklemoor to start your swim and at Muchelney there’s a pontoon with steps. Muchelney and Cocklemoor are connected via the River Parrett Trail which has plenty of picnic spots for you to enjoy after your swim.