Clifton College is a rather exclusive public school in probably the most affluent part of Bristol…read more As part of their facilities (which look fantastic through the high wire fence) they have a swimming pool open to the public. It's twenty five metres and doesn't come with any bells or whistles. It's just a pool, where you can go up and down, or mess around in the shallow end (as long as you don't get in the way of people going up and and down). This makes for a restful experience. For me, it is highly theraputic to just flap your feet and push out 12 lengths, get out the pool quivering a little for the exertion, take a shower (which are always hot) and flop down at home. If you go in the early mornings you're more likely to be able to do this without having kids bump into you. Clifton College pool is plain and simple, which is exactly what I want from a swimming pool.

The food here was amazing. I'll be dreaming of the peach and tomato salad for a while. My only…read moreissue was we alerted the kitchen twice prior to our reservation about an allergy and they still weren't aware of it when we got there! The atmosphere was really cool and like I said the food was top notch.

This shop have a lot of nice and good food at a reasonable prices,if you need help finding…read moresomething ask a worker they are very friendly and helpful.

The Bristol Uni pool is just like every public pool you have been to. The off white floor tiles and…read morelocker lined walls immediately make you feel at home. This is combined with the smell of chorine that seeps into every orifice of your body so that even after a shower you still smell like Michael Phelps. However it is a little bit more special, it is big- at full stretch it is a little over 30 meters. However this does vary depending on the day, as they shorten it for kids to swim in the rest. They have six lanes for doing laps, however this is not open all day, as the pool is open for more recreational swimmers too. Does everything you might hope for and more!

Unless you're a student you will unfortunately have to pay a yearly or monthly membership fee to…read morepay a visit to this pool, unless you have student friends in which case you're allowed to come along as a 'guest'. Inside it's a decent public swimming pool, of a good length, usually relatively warm (sometimes by the end of a session in fact a little too warm). In my experience it's not massively crowded although sometimes at busy times there can be a little tension in the lanes. The changing room and shower facilities are fine and very clean. It basically caters to your every need without doing it superbly so. For £3.50 per swim, ya can't exactly complain though. One thing I strongly advise is to make sure the swimming pool is actually open to the public when you decide to go. The amount of times I've rocked up only to find that it's closed for schools or classes has been frustrating indeed.

If you're not too fussy about aesthetics or enjoyment, this is a pretty good place to go and churn…read moreout some laps. The pool itself is one of the biggest in Bris so you can happily switch off and settle into autopilot and there are laned swims every lunch time too. If, however, you're after a 'fun' swim then this probably isn't the right option, as the crumbling building, lack of changing rooms (there are cubicles surrounding the pool) and local Bemmer clientele may not be to everyone's tastes. Functional? Yes. Fun. No.

I'm quite the sort to enjoy a bit of casual lane swimming from time to time. I'd say that the…read moreBristol South Swimming Pool was probably my local, sadly. Really cold, inside and out of the water, and with very little provisions and facilities for swimmers, it's not the best. It's never busy in term time though, so if you fancy a splashing up and down for a while, it's not too crowded. It's probably best if you wait till you get home for a shower as there's only one, which looks out onto the pool. The building is quite interesting, it looks a little like a church, and has a balcony all around for spectators. The council really needs to step up its game though, or it will definitely loose out to the likes of the Lido in Clifton or other private pools.

If you want to take your baby swimming then I can't recommend turtle tots enough. The classes are…read morefun and you teach your baby really important safety skills that could save their life if they were ever to fall in water. It's amazing how quickly a baby can learn word association and safety skills. By about 6 months my son could hold onto the side of the pool. Expect lots of singing, splashing and general fun! Turtle tots isn't the cheapest baby swimming class but then I believe you get what you pay for!

This excellent council run state of the art leisure centre boasts one (sorry, two!) of the best…read morepools in the city. The main pool boasts six lanes and is even overseen by a spectator gallery which is used during competitions. There is also a smaller learner pool complete with a flume which snakes down into it (alas I've never worked up the bottle to ask to have a go!). One word of warning, on two occasions I've turned up only to be refused entry due to the timetable being changed without any warning (there was no apology either - they just seemed to think I was a bit weird for reading the timetable online and assuming it was correct!). Elsewhere there's a gym and fitness classes (I've not used either though have heard good things about the circuit training class), and a decent sized hall which you can hire by the hour for badminton and 5-a-side. There's also ample parking outside, much of it CCTV monitored.

Run and funded by the council, Easton Leisure Centre is a good, well-kept and clean space with…read moreplenty of activities on offer. The swimming pool is large and as good as you'll get for a swim. It doesn't cost much either. There's also gym facilities and a range of fitness classes. Make sure you check times (even phoning if necessary - although my one major complaint would revolve around the fact that I have tried to phone and find out about swim times only for my calls to remain unanswered). Regrettably the website isn't very regularly updated so it's a good idea to check. The Easton location isn't exactly wildly accessible for a lot of people. If you're a cardriver there's a large amount of parking outside but for those of us who aren't, the nearest reliable transport service is Lawrence Hill train station although even then you have to snake under the quite circuitous underpass in order to get to the other side. Overall it's a good leisure centre, I just wish it wasn't so heartbreaking to be turned away when I've travelled for miles because the staff don't answer the phone and the website is out of date!

Had a three day trial. Gym and pool are both large, but that's where the positives end…read more Changing rooms and showers are filthy. Toilet paper was on the floor for three consecutive days when I went. Toothpaste and what appeared to be mud had been sprayed up the shower cubicle wall. Jacuzzi hot tub is cold, not heated at all. I sent an email asking how often the changing rooms and showers were cleaned, and what the temperature of the hot tub is set at, but I never received a response. A couple days after my trial finished. I received a marketing calls from the leisure centre asking if I'd like to sign up with them. I explained that I had emailed but received no response and I asked them on the phone how often the showers were cleaned and what are the temperature of the hot tub was. They told me that they didn't know how often the showers were cleaned and that it's supposed to be done by the lifeguards..they told me that they didn't know how often the showers were cleaned and that it's supposed to be done by the lifeguards. they also told me they don't know what the temperature of the hot tub is set at and that they would speak to their managers, who would then gets back to me. I wasn't surprised when I receive no response from management after waiting two weeks for one. Conclusion: For more than £40 a month, I would expect the changing rooms and showers to be cleaned at least daily and I would expect professionalism from the staff. Unfortunately both of these things are not apparent and I would warn anybody before taking out a monthly or yearly contract with the leisure centre that you check these conditions for yourself. If I had actually received a phone call back from the managers I might well have ended up signing up to the leisure centre because it's closer to me than other gyms. However, I have now signed up to another gym which happens to be a lot cheaper and the quality is much higher.

1* because of the car park, an Absolute scum bag operation. You can park legit and prove it and…read morethey still fine you and send copious amounts of aggressive fine letters with no contact details. This car park ruins the leisure centre reputation.

Henleaze lake is a rarity. Situated just on the border of the south side of Henleaze, it's a large…read morefresh water lake in which you can swim, dive, go angling and generally enjoy the beautiful surroundings. It's very large, and is lined with trees and greenery - it makes you feel like you're a million miles away from this suburb in Bristol. The lake itself offers over 100 meters of open air swimming space, and a section for angling. There was recent talk about removal of fish due to their overbreeding in the lake, but apparently this has been postponed 'due to actions of a number of anglers', so their website reports. There's also two diving boards for the more adventurous swimmers. In the summer this has a really nice little haven, and really worth a trip to. It gets pretty busy on the weekends, but try and pick a quiet time and come and enjoy the water.

Probably worth mentioning that access to the lake is for members only and that there is a long…read morewaiting list. However, if you know someone who is a member you can buy a guest ticket for the day if you go along with them.

I friend of mine, who is a member of the Bristol Council's gym group, gave me a free pass to go to…read morethe Horfield Leisure Centre. I fancied going for a swim and had been warned against the Bristol South Swimming Pool so thought I'd give the Horfield option a try. I was really impressed, a nice big pool, with good changing facilities (clean showers!). After my swim I visited the gym which was just lovely, well lovely in a gym kind of way. It had plenty of cardio options and a real good selection of weight training options. The classes on offer there are fantastic, if you can't find something you like, or at least don't hate the thought of, I'd be really surprised. The other good thing about these council run gyms is that you become a member of all of them, so you can mix it up a little bit and go to other pools or centres to keep you from getting bored with exercising!

For swimming, Horfield Leisure Centre is far better than most public pools I've been to…read more The main pool is big - 25-metres long, with eight lanes, and the only thing I am not keen on is the mixed sex changing rooms. Obviously there are private cubicles, but it still feels a bit weird legging it from the pool into a cubicle past blokes in Speedos. On the other hand, at least they're kept clean and they're quite spacious. I haven't tried any of the other leisure centre facilities myself, but the gym looks well-equipped with rows of new-looking cardio and weight machines, and there are several classes offering aerobics, yoga, spinning and other types of exercise. There are also squash courts and a big sports hall for team games such as 5-a-side. If you're not going to get to the gym regularly and get your money's worth, this looks like a good budget alternative to joining a private gym.