Jesus Green Pool
Water Parks & Swimming · Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
No reviews yet
Closed — opens 6.30am
🌳 Outdoor8–1212–16Swimming
What’s there
- Café on site
- Picnic area
No on-site car parking (0 spaces). Secure cycle storage for 200 bikes; bus routes C2 & C4 nearby.
Only facilities we’ve confirmed are listed — anything missing here we simply haven’t checked, rather than know to be absent.
Jesus Green Pool (also known as Jesus Green Lido) is a historic open-air swimming pool set on Jesus Green beside the River Cam, off Chesterton Road in central Cambridge. Opened in 1923 and operated by Better (GLL) in partnership with Cambridge City Council, the unheated pool stretches 91.4 metres - making it one of the longest lidos in the UK - with shallow ends (1.2m) and a deeper central section (up to 2.5m) where diving is allowed. One lane is reserved for faster swimmers while the rest of the pool is open for recreational family swimming (Swim for All sessions). The pool is open year-round, drawing families, students and hardy cold-water swimmers in every season, with reduced hours over winter. After a swim, families can warm up in the sauna, grab refreshments at the on-site cafe, or relax on the sunbathing terraces and grassy picnic area. Table tennis, Aqua Splash inflatable sessions, aqua aerobics and yoga add variety. Changing rooms with showers, lockers (token operated), accessible changing, a disabled toilet and a poolside hoist are available. There is no on-site car parking - the lido is easily reached on foot or by bike (secure cycle storage for 200 bikes) from central Cambridge, with bus routes C2 and C4 stopping nearby.
Questions parents ask
- Is there anywhere to eat, or should we bring a picnic?
- There's a café on site where you can grab something after your swim. The venue also has a designated picnic area if you prefer to bring your own food.
- Can I manage this with a toddler and an older child at once?
- We haven't confirmed whether the pool is buggy-friendly or has baby changing facilities, so you may want to contact the venue to check these details before visiting with very young children alongside older kids.
- How long should we allow for a visit?
- Most families allow around two hours. This gives time for changing, a swim, and a warm-up in the sauna or a visit to the café.
- What should we bring that people forget?
- Lockers take tokens which cost 75p and the venue is card-only, so bring coins for the locker deposit. The pool is unheated and can be quite cold, so consider bringing extra layers and a towel for after your swim.
- Is there parking, and is it a walk from the car?
- There is no on-site car parking available, though the venue is accessible by bus on the C2 and C4 routes, and bike storage is available for 200 bikes.
Stuff to take with you
The things people wish they’d packed for a day out like this one.
- Swimming costume
Towel
Refillable water bottleMost places will fill it for free.
Snacks that survive a rucksackCheaper than the café, and buys you twenty minutes.- Painkillers for grown-ups
- Tablet headrest mountFor the long way home, not the day itself.
Bum bag- Children's paracetamol sachetsThe one thing a farm shop never sells.
- Sting relief
- Face wipes
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Photos: Plusea, CC BY 2.0
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