Abbey suffers serious competition with Parskide so close, and is a very good example of public swimming pools at their most depressing.
It may be fine if you want to swim about and refresh on a hot day, but I wouldn't recommend it for lane swimming - provided you manage to be there when there actually are lanes, otherwise it feels like a video game, trying to avoid the bathers coming at you. It's also one of the most slippery pools I've ever seen, both on the floor and in the water: trying to kick back against the wall becomes an exercise in not twisting your ankle. The absence of a handle or something along the wall also makes cold-starts much less pleasant.
Ear plugs are vital, if only to block off the noise echoing from all over the place and, while the changing rooms are relatively clean and functional, do NOT, under any circumstances, forget your oxygen if you intend to use the gents' toilets.
The one redeeming feature is that there is a lot of free parking available - whether this is important in a city where everybody cycles or walks is irrelevant. In short, this is a valid place for casual swimming, but if you're after something more regular (and much nicer), spend the same amount and go to Parkside instead. read more
