Spotlight on: Outdoor sport – give it a go!

London

Tennis

Clapham Common Tennis Courts (South West London) On the south side of the Common, five minutes from Clapham South tube station and 25 minutes from Clapham Junction railway station you will find the excellent facilities of Clapham Common Tennis Courts. All eight courts are outdoors and five of them are floodlit in the evenings (the courts are open from 8am through to 10pm in the summer). The flat, even surface adds to the popularity of these courts and, although there is a payment hut on site, it is best to book, especially after 5pm on a week day. The number for booking is 020 7223 9837 and it used to be possible to get a game for just £5 an hour.

Hyde Park Tennis Courts Situated to the south of the park on South Carriage Drive is a ‘Will to Win/Royal Parks collaboration’, and are ideally situated if you are staying in the city centre. As with Regent’s Park Tennis Centre, Smartcard holders can book up to seven days in advance, while non-card holders have a three day window. Prices per court hour are £13 (£14 after 5pm, on weekends and on Bank Holidays). A team of coaches are available for private lessons, charging around £45 to £50, although you can bring an extra one or two friends for just £5 or £10 more. Hyde Park Tennis Centre contains six LTA accredited courts and two mini-courts. It is open all year round from 8am (7am May to August). There is also a changing pavilion, cafe and pleasant garden area nearby as well as a bowling green and nine-hole putting green.

Lidos

King’s Cross Pond Club is a beautiful spot to swim outdoors. Part of an ambitious urban renewal programme, this calm pool is surrounded by plant life and gardens. In order to ensure water quality, visitor numbers are limited to 163 a day and there are time limits on sessions. For more information and details about how to book, visit kingscrosspond.club

Tooting Bec Lido Measuring 90m x 30m, this South London treasure is the largest freshwater open-air swimming pool in the UK and has been a popular spot for bathers and leisure seekers since 1906. The lidos colourful changing cubicle doors (red, yellow, green) lend character and distinction. There’s a café too if you don’t want to spend all your time in the water.

http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk

Oxford

Tennis

Oxford has a wealth of tennis courts at very low prices and open to the public:

Alexandra Park | Middle Way
6 Hard & 9 Grass courts
 

Botley Park | Botley Road
2 Hard courts
 

Bury Knowle Park | Chestnut Ave
4 Hard courts
 

Cutteslowe Park | Harbord Rd
4 Hard courts
 

Florence Park | Rymers Lane
5 Hard courts
 

Hinksey Park | Abingdon Rd
4 Hard courts
 

Visit www.tennisoxford.com

Lidos

Chippy Lido, Chipping Norton With its heated 25m pool and toddler pool, slide and café, The Lido is an oasis in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. Whether you’re a serious swimmer clocking up the lengths in our early morning sessions or a family looking for an afternoon’s outdoor fun, The Lido has something for everyone.

The pool has been run by local people as a charity since 2004 and describes itself as a 'pool with a social conscience'.

www.chippylido.co.uk

Manchester

Tennis

Click the link below for an extensive list of tennis courts open to the public across Manchester.  Many of the courts are free.

Visit http://www.manchester.gov.uk/directory_record/89199/chorlton_park/category/588/tennis_court

Lidos

Nantwich Outdoor Brine Pool, Cheshire The medicinal benefits of the Nantwich ‘salt pit’ (a brine spring) have been known for hundreds of years, particularly by those needing treatment for rheumatism, and it was a popular spot for recovering soldiers in the First World War.

The pool at Nantwich today dates back to 1935 and is possibly the only inland brine pool left in the country. It measures 30.5 metres by 15 metres. Open from May until the end of September. Heated.

Wall Lane, Nantwich
01270 685590
www.everybody.org.uk/centres/nsp/

Bristol

Tennis

There are 34 tennis courts in Bristol. There are a further 14 tennis courts (4 indoor, 10 outdoor) available to the public through partnership with the Coombe Dingle Sports Complex. The Coombe Dingle Sports Complex is open all year round from 9.00am - 11.00pm seven days a week. All tennis courts are tarmac.

Visit https://www.bristol.gov.uk/museums-parks-sports-culture/tennis-in-bristol

Lidos

Clifton Lido, Bristol This is a very stylish refurbishment of a baths that dates back to the Victorian era. It is essentially a state-of-the-art bathing facility and spa for members, but non-members can apply for passes: a three-hour afternoon pass Mon-Fri costs £20 per person, but the options involving meals can prove better value: swim and breakfast costs £30 per person while swim and lunch/ swim and dinner are £35 and £40 per person respectively. There are also plenty of possibilities for spa treatments. Open daily, year-round. Water heated to around 23/24 degrees C.

Oakfield Place, Clifton, Bristol
0117 933 9530
lidobristol.com/spa