Swimming in the Peak District

Hathersage Lido 

An absolute must for swimmers is a visit to Hathersage Outdoor swimming pool.  The pool is heated all year round and with online bookable slots released every week it's a  great spot for an outdoor swim.  There’s also an adjoining café and lawned seating area with beautiful views of Stanage Edge so working up an appetite swimming isn't a problem.

Bakewell Swimming Pool is in the town centre and offers excellent indoor swimming facilities 

Buxton Leisure Centre offers a larger indoor swimming pool and a learning pool

Other pools available in the Peak District are:

Some of the best wild swimming spots and unique destinations in the Peak District is 

Mermaids Pool, which can be found just off the main path towards the summit of Kinder Scout. The quickest route to follow heads west out of Hayfield past Kinder reservoir, following the path to the north.  Make the swim part of a longer circuit via Kinder Low Trig Point and Jacob’s Ladder.

​Slippery Stones 

A picturesque plunge pool in the North of the Derwent Valley, Slippery Stones wild swimming is a very beautiful spot. There is a road that runs along the western shores of Derwent and Howden Reservoirs to get there. 

Three Shires Head 

A series of waterfalls and plunge pools (known as Panniers Pool, a reference to the pack-horses that once used the bridges) where the counties of Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire all meet at the 'Y' shaped junction of two converging rivers in the beautiful peak district.

Bradford Dale

This child friendly wild swimming location in Youlgreave  sits within two steep banks, and is about 8 metres by 20 metres. This has been carved out of the rock so that it’s deep enough to swim in, but is probably only 1.5 metres at its greatest depth in the middle ( this is seasonal). A grassy spot nearby allows you to enjoy a picnic too.