Fifty metres of open sky

Hartfield Lido was dug by hand in 1936. Since 2019 a field of solar panels on the changing-room roof keeps the water at 24 degrees from May to September; the rest of the year it follows the weather.

Book a swim See today's sessions
  • Eight lanes in three speeds, slow to fast
  • A shallow end of 90 cm for small swimmers
  • A diving pit, open on Saturday afternoons
  • Lifeguards on every session, all year
The lido from above: a long blue pool with swimmers, a paved deck and grass around it
heated to 24°

A day in the water

Every day is split into sessions, so you know before you come whether you'll get a lane to yourself or a pool full of inflatables.

  1. –

    Early lengths

    Roped lanes in slow, medium and fast. The kiosk opens at seven.

    £4.50

  2. –

    Lunch laps

    Forty minutes is plenty. Lockers take a pound and give it back.

    £4.50

  3. –

    Family splash

    Ropes out, floats in. Under-eights swim with a grown-up in the water.

    £12 family

  4. –

    Quiet hour

    Adults only: no music, no inflatables, just the sound of the water.

    £4.50

  5. –

    Sunset swim

    The underwater lights come on and the kiosk serves until the end.

    £6

Swim club

Weekend lessons in groups of six, from first splashes to tumble turns. Every level ends with its own badge, and grown-ups are welcome too.

  1. A small boy grinning on a float in the pool

    Ducklings

    Ages 3–5

    Splashing, floating and blowing bubbles, with a grown-up in the water.

  2. A girl in purple goggles swimming underwater

    Otters

    Ages 6–8

    First strokes, then the first width without a float.

  3. Two girls in goggles at the pool edge showing a swimming badge

    Seals

    Ages 9–12

    Four strokes, tumble turns and the 25-metre badge.

  4. An older man floating on his back in green water

    Grown-ups

    Never too late

    Small groups for adults who never learned, or want to start again.

first lesson's free!

Book a trial lesson

Saturday and Sunday mornings · 30 minutes · £9 a lesson

The water doesn't close for winter

From October to April the heating goes off and the lido becomes a cold-water club. Swim a width or a mile, then thaw out in the wood-fired sauna on the deck.

Season
October to April
Sauna
Thursday to Sunday, 7:00–19:00
Dip and sauna
£8
Cold club, whole season
£60

Join the cold club

A swimmer in still, icy water with snow on the far bank
Wooden sauna cabins with glass fronts on a grassy bank 4–12° in winter

Lounge on the lawn

Half the lido is grass. Bring a towel, hire a striped deckchair for two pounds and stay until the shadows reach the deep end.

The kiosk

Hot chocolate counts as a food group here. Open from seven until the last swim, card or cash, and a cup of tea is always a pound.

A mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, seen from above
£3.20

Hot chocolate with the lot

Whole milk, cream, marshmallows and a flake, in a mug big enough to warm both hands after a winter dip.

Kiosk favourites

  • A ham and cheese toastie cut in half
  • A peach and raspberry ice lolly against a blue sky
  • A flat white with leaf latte art
  • Cinnamon buns on a white plate
  • Cheese and ham toastie£5.50
  • Fruit ice lolly£2.20
  • Flat white£3.00
  • Cinnamon bun£3.40
  • Chips in a cone£3.00
  • Pot of tea£1.00

Oat milk at no extra cost. Ask at the hatch about allergens.

Since 1936

Built by the town, saved by its swimmers.

Hartfield Lido opened in the summer of 1936 with a brass band and a swimming gala. It closed in 1989 when the boiler gave up, sat empty for fifteen summers, and reopened in 2004 after the Friends of Hartfield Lido raised the money to mend it, a good part of it in fivers at bake sales.

  1. 1936Opened by the borough, free on Sunday mornings.
  2. 1989Closed when the boiler broke and the council could not replace it.
  3. 2004Reopened by the Friends, a charity run by its swimmers.
  4. 2019Solar panels on the roof, and swimming all year round.
An archive photo of a diver mid-flip above a crowded outdoor pool
An archive photo of a woman sitting at the edge of an open-air pool

The lights go on underwater

On summer evenings the lido stays open late. The pool glows from below, the kiosk keeps the urn on and a few nights a season are something else entirely.

A pool glowing pale blue in the dark

  • Lido cinema

    A film on a screen over the deep end. Watch from the water on a float or from a deckchair on the lawn.

    Ask about tickets

  • Glow swim

    Music, floats and glow sticks for 12 to 16 year olds, with lifeguards and a quiet room for parents.

    Ask about tickets

  • Full moon swim

    The pool lights go off for an hour of swimming by moonlight, then hot chocolate by the sauna.

    Ask about tickets

Pay as you swim, or swim all summer

Book a session online or pay at the gate: a third of every session is kept for walk-ups. Under-threes always swim free.

  • Single swim

    £4.50
    Adult
    £4.50
    Child, 3 to 15
    £2.50
    Concession
    £3.20
    Family, 2 + 2
    £12

  • Ten swims

    £40

    A card for ten adult swims. Share it with friends; it lasts a year from the first stamp.

  • Summer pass

    £150
    Adult, May to September
    £150
    Child
    £70

    Every session, plus two guest swims.

  • Cold club

    £60

    October to April with the sauna included, and a hot drink on Sunday mornings.

Prices for the 2026 season. Concessions cover students, over-65s and anyone on benefits; no proof needed at the gate.

Book a swim

Through the green gate

Find us

Splosh Lido
Example Road
Hartfield HF4 0ZZ

The green gate on Example Road opens fifteen minutes before the first session.

A white diving tower against a pale sky

Getting here

  • Buses 12 and 38 stop at Example Road
  • Forty bike racks inside the gate
  • No car park; the streets nearby are free after 10:00

Opening hours

May to September
6:30–21:00
October to April
7:00–18:00
Christmas Day dip
8:00–11:00

Call the front desk

01632 000000

or write to

hello@splosh.example

Ask us anything

Good to know

Anything else? Call the front desk on 01632 000000 or ask at the kiosk hatch.

Do I need to book?

Booking guarantees your place, but a third of every session is kept for walk-ups. On grey days there is nearly always room.

How warm is the water?

From May to September the solar roof keeps it at about 24 degrees. In winter it follows the weather, usually between 4 and 12 degrees.

Can children swim on their own?

From age eight, if they can swim 25 metres. Younger children swim with an adult in the water, one adult for two children.

Are there lockers and showers?

Yes: lockers that take a pound coin and return it, warm showers, and a changing village with family cubicles.

Is the lido accessible?

There is step-free access from the gate to the deck, a pool hoist at the shallow end and an accessible changing room. Carers swim free.

Can I bring my own food?

Of course. Picnics are welcome on the lawn; we only ask that glass stays at home.