Outdoor pool in Northampton

“Recently joined Saxon Pool on a swim membership. Pool and changing areas are clean and the staff are friendly (special shout out to super polite Sophie). A few more late quiet swims on the timetable would be welcomed, but in all honestly we are impressed and highly recommend.”

“So yes, it is an old pool, but the pros massively outweigh the cons and there are some quite unreasonable reviews here. Pros:- 33 metre pool, Lovely staff, Lovely community vibe, Wide lanes, More flexible swimming times, Properly hot showers, Big changing cubicles (useful if you're 6ft3 like me) Decent pool temperature so you can really go for it when you swim. Cons:- It is old so there are rust marks that have built up over the decades, giving it an untidy/grubby look, although it is as clean as any other pool. Unfair and generally negative reviews about teeny things by unsympathetic people. The negative reviews about this pool stopped me trying it for 3 years and the only reason I went was because the Kempston one was closed for a period of time. It is in need of a refurbishment as it is an old pool, but it isn't any dirtier than any other pool I've been to. The one in Barnet North London is pretty much a brand new centre, and I've seen that one in significantly worse states than Robinsons due to customers being gross and disrespectful. So, if you want to go swimming in a nice, well maintained, historical pool with a great community vibe, nice respectful people, spacious lanes, is open when you want, and you can understand that it has battle scars from years of service, then this is the pool for you.”

“Our 8 year old granddaughter was taught by an fantastic swimming instructor (Oliver) today. It was amazing how quickly she progressed - which gave her the confidence she needed Highly recommended!!”

“This pool is a really nice place to swim and train. The staff are excellent. My wife is paraplegic and enjoys swimming unfortunately most of the pools in the area, although they all have disabled access the staff at Kettering pool make it much more pleasant. There is nothing that is too much trouble for the staff. They are all patient, friendly and informative. I feel that it is the staff here that make this such and enjoyable palce to swim. The hoist to get in and out ofbthe pool is an old pump style and it is hard work for the staff yet not once have I heard any member of affairs complain or grumble about this. A big thanks to the staff at Kettering pool.”

“Third time at wold farm today. Have now fished all three lakes oak,moat and island. The fish are stunning and in fantastic condition the people at the fisheries are so helpful and u can learn alot from some of the bailiffs. Will defo be back for a forth time. Thanks guys for a fantastic day again.”

“My three labs love coming for play days, my two older Labradors have been coming to Scooby's for 10 years and they still get excited when we pull up outside”

“Had my first experience of Swimcube coaching yesterday. Matt the coach was absolutely brilliant. We had a short chat about my swimming experience and what I wanted to gain from the session. Due to upcoming race in 3 weeks we agreed that we would focus on some smaller changes that would help support my efficiency for the race and then set some larger goals to work on to improve my stroke in the future. From arriving to leaving, Matt made me feel comfortable and relaxed, he was really experienced and made his points really clearly. I was a bit nervous of how I would swim in the pool, but after the first go, I feel you pretty much get the hang of it. Having the live feedback on the screen after every effort was a really game changer. Like most swimmers I had no idea how I looked in the water. With 3 cameras you really get a great idea of how your stroke and body position are in the water (even if its not as great as you expect it to be). After every effort Matt gave me some feedback along side the videos and set something for me to work on in the next set. Time really flies once you are in the pool, as I was a bit worried an hour would be too long, but I was enjoying it so much I didn't want the session to end. I have come away with the all the videos and some analysis from Matt to follow. Overall I came away from the session absolutely buzzing. I have always known my stroke wasn't quite right, and have watched thousands of youtube videos to try and fix it, this essentially led me to trying numerous things without ever really pin pointing my big issue. After an hour at the swimcube I have such a clear picture on what I need to work on to improve. Although there is no shortcut and these changes will take time to implement, its a relief to know exactly what I need to improve on. With the drills given to me from Matt I can go away and work on becoming a better swimmer. Would highly recommend”

“Fantastic for a family day out! Want to try paddle boarding, wakeboarding or water skiing, or try your ninja skills on the inflatable obstacle? Maybe watersports aren't your thing, how about Disc Golf, Foot Golf or archery? Bit far to travel? Camp! My only issue is food is a tad pricey for what you get at the lakeside hut, £5 for a processed boiled hotdog with no option for onions or anything is a tad steep, I'd expect a proper sausage for that price, but it is what it is! Still a great destination, and there's some baby ducks this time of year too!”

“I love coming here, I just wish I had the time to attend more often. Fantastic place where the lifeguards are able to concentrate on their swimmers without extra watching visitors being a distraction. The swim times are timed, so if I am booked at 5pm, I am ready to go at 5pm. The slot is for 1 hour, so the lifeguard gets a 15 minute break before the 6.15 slot starts. This is to welcome the lucky new swimmers, handover to other lifeguards, or maybe take a break. Please bear this in mind, as people giving poor reviews because of their incorrect assumptions is not ok. Time of year is crucial in understanding how long it is safe to swim #ruddycold This is definitely the happy place of many people, with more being welcomed every day. 5 stars for location and service.”

“We had such a wonderful time at this lake. We did the water obstacle course. It was great fun. 100% recommend. Customer service is excellent. We were a little late for the start time and the staff helped rush us through so that we had the correct amount of time on the inflatables. Thank you to Louise, Damien and the gang”

“This is a lovely place to get it touch with nature. It is calm, with beautiful scenery. Personally I go here to refresh. You can enjoy it with loved ones.”

“The park is easy to access off Barkers Lane across a bridge over the river and into the car parks area. One is straight on and there's another to the left after going through the Park gates. The cafe is located by the car park that is straight ahead. Toilets are behind the cafe. Wheelchair access is via a ramp. Dogs aren't allowed in the cafe but there is a large deck seating area out front where dogs are allowed. The country park has picturesque lakes, river walks woodland walks and large open grassy areas for picnics and playing with the dog. There is a large enclosed play area for the children. Fishing is available and the site does observe the close season, see the notice boards for details. There is also a sailing club for those who like to get out on the water. Birdwatchers won't miss out either because there is a lot of wildlife in the park with purpose built hides around the main lake. The main lake has a tarmac path all the way around and is good for wheelchairs etc, it's nice and level, wide too. To go all the way round is 1.3 miles and about 45 minutes. Enjoy”

“Big park with plenty going on when we went. Plenty of spaces for car parking. Toilets on site. A big bar/restaurant where you can order on the app (green king). There is a splash pad which the youngsters will enjoy on a warm day. There was a big inflatable obstacle course, but I don't know if that's a permanent feature. There's play parks and a big boating lake where you can hire pedalos. And a big wheel.”

“What a great place! So much for the kids to do and see. The water feature is great, the climbing frame is well kept and very safe. The toilets are always kept clean and there is a great choice for food and drinks. Actually they have really nice coffee which is rare. Would be good with a few more benches as there is only a few compared to how many visitors they get but bring a picnic blanket and you'll be fine”

“Took my wife here for her birthday - she loved it as did I though I'm not a great swimmer. 100yards was a long way for me. Nice setting. Great value fir money. Not heated bug I didn't find it that cold.”

“We absolutely love this place, we come back every year as we have family near Peterborough, its quite, loads of walking with Grafham Water a short walk across a field. The wardens are brilliant the site always looks clean and tidy.”

“Friendly staff and great facilities. I use the pool and gym, generally no issues with either. Problems with hot water in the past would be my only negative but this seems to have been sorted. A good value fitness and sports club conveniently located in the village for local residents. Opening times and availability of general swim sessions can be somewhat limited because of the setup in a working public school, and there is not a huge range of equipment or number of machines in the fitness suite but for me Willison Centre is worth the cost and I enjoy being a member. I also love the flexible rolling subscription system so I don’t have to pay for a month if I have sickness, injury or holidays etc. and wouldn’t get the use.”

“We spent several hours walking around the nature reserve. A gorgeous venue with well maintained / clearly defined tracks. A wide variety of wildlife both on, and off, the water. Although members of BCN Wildlife Trust, a permit is still required to access the reserve. However, there were only fishing permits available in the self-service hut, no nature reserve permits...”

“Excellent facilities and loads of fun. 50minute session seems short but worth the cost”

“Tried out Archery this morning and thoroughly enjoyed it! Our instructor, Henry, was really friendly and helpful. I was pleasantly surprised just how much shooting you can get done, I expected lots of boring safety talk but we got going pretty quickly - a very good balance. There were also challenges which made it more interesting! Not mentioned on the website but wrist guards are provided, so you don’t need a long sleeve to protect yourself, however they’re not providing finger guards any more and my fingertips did feel quite raw by the end - you may want to bring gloves (leather?) Finally I think it will be best if there aren’t many of you there, about 4 people seems the perfect number. Heartily recommend a visit!”

“The parking fee is £5.50 payable at the entrance next to a manned barrier. Decent parking spaces and there is a small coffee shop and toilets right next to it and a small outside gym. The first children's playground is opposite the coffee shop. There is a sandpit there and a nice climbing frame. And benches for picnics. The second one is further down the road on the left side. It has more climbing frames, swings, slides.. and benches to sit on. On the right side there is plenty of space for a picnic, a few benches overlooking the lake. And this is as far as we got. There is still a lot more to see and I can't wait to visit again. The weather has been amazing (we were really lucky) and it felt so peaceful here.”

“Very pleasant walk round. Dogs enjoy the many smells and views. Lots of fishing chilling the night away. Must be a safe place due to the amount of fishermen staying overnight. Right next to the canal not far from the Grove Lock.”

“Mostly fantastic, the selection of restaurants is great, the lodges have a very nice social area and good facilities. The only thing I found to be an issue was that the Subtropical Swimming Paradise isn’t quite up to the level of Elveden Forest’s in my opinion, as it lacks a saltwater lagoon (mostly negated by the lazy river being saltwater) although there being more large flumes is great, and I get that this can’t be easily changed as it is a central feature. Overall a great Center Parcs resort.”

“Great family, fun, good place to spend a few hours, with good facilities.”

“We had my son’s 11th birthday there today and all the kids had an absolute blast. The team were fantastic and made us feel so welcome. We also had pizzas to finish and the food was great. Thank you for a memorable birthday”

“Fantastic place to go on any day, but a hot summers day and a swim in the river is highly recommended”

“It's very beautiful and we went when it was wet. Good loop walk.”

“It’s a working men’s club! But we have open guitar night on last Tuesday of every month. And that makes it special”

“Fantastic dog kennels, would even go as far to say it's better than some hotels we've stayed at! Nick was a pleasure to deal with, always available and answered our queries within a few minutes. Our big dogs have had a lovely stay and came back happy and nicely worn out which is no mean feat! They'll be staying here again in the future for sure.”