London Aquatics Centre

London, England, UNITED KINGDOM

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Updated April 14, 2020.

Facility Overview

Facility Name
London Aquatics Centre
Address
Queen Elizabeth Park, Stratford, Newham, East London
London, England E20 2ZQ
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone
(020) 8536 3150

Adult Admission Price & Policy

Drop-in/Casual
£7.85. [April, 2024]
Note: Admission policies and prices shown in Swimmers Guide listings are believed to be correct as of the date shown in brackets. If not correct now, please click on the "Edit" button and tell us so this listing can be fixed and the information brought current. This site works best when its users take an active role in the maintenance of the data.

Full-Size, Year-Round Pools & Boards

Pool 1
50m x 25m, 10 lanes, 3m uniform depth, chlorine sanitized, indoors, 27.9ºC (82.2ºF).
Pool 3
25m, 6 lanes, 0m - 5m adjustable depth, chlorine sanitized diving pool, indoors, 29º - 31.1ºC (84.2º - 88ºF).
Diving
Four 1m diving boards, three 3m diving boards, and 1m, 3m, 5m, 7.5m, and 10m diving platforms.

Location

Historical County
London Metropolitan Area
GPS
51.540188,-0.010551

Teams That Use This Facility

Masters Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Masters Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Youth Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Water Polo
Out to Swim
See the Masters Swim team website, linked to its name, above.

Facility Notes

The facility, which hosted the aquatic events of the 2012 London Olympics, opened to the public in March, 2014.
Peak times are: Weekdays from 7 to 9 AM and from 5 PM to closing; Saturday from 6 AM to 1 PM; and all day Sunday. [January, 2015]
The facility has a second "home page" HERE.
The 50-meter, competition pool [Pool 1] is often closed to the public for competitions and other events. If that's the pool you want to swim in, be sure to check the schedule.
NOTE: Site users from outside the United Kingdom may find that their access to the facility's EveryoneActive.com web page has been blocked. Users who have access to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can circumvent the block by setting their VPN Region to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. (We assume that the hackers whom EveryoneActive is trying to block can do this as easily as we have, and we question what purpose is served by making things difficult for their foreign visitors.)

Facility Reviews

It's everything you'd expect from a pool built to host the Olympics: clean, bright, lots of lanes. I recommend that swimmers check the website, pick a time that is not too busy, and book in advance. (They don't chuck you out at the end of your pre-booked slot.) It's also fine just to turn up and swim.
[June, 2014]
An outstanding facility with the capacity to serve the needs of lap swimmers in the 3 metre-deep competition pool alongside those at varying stages of development of their swimming competency in the very flexible training pool. The swimmers' entrance (which is not particularly well signposted) is to be found at ground level alongside the River Lea on the opposite side of the building to that facing Stratford Railway Station. Although the website invites one to pay on-line for a specified half-hour slot, it is quite possible to turn up and pay at the reception desk. Fast, medium and slow lanes available. On my mid-morning visit the pool was quiet (no more than three other swimmers sharing my lane). Lane discipline was good. I so enjoyed myself that I extended my usual daily 1,000 metre swim by an extra 500 metres and am now looking forward to my next excuse to go over to the East End.
[September, 2014]
It's a long trip (45 minutes on the subway plus a 10 minute walk) from Central London but, for a swimming devotee, it is well worth the ride to swim in the pool's perfectly enchanting, Olympic waters. Granted, it was on a Friday at mid-day, but the pool was nearly empty (two or three swimmers per 50m lane). The lifeguards were courteous and attentive, and managed lane speeds well.
[October, 2014]
There's just one, slightly quirky rule to know: one cannot take towels to the pool side.
[January, 2015]
The 50m competition pool (Pool 1, above) is slightly cooler than the training pool (Pool 2). If you want to swim in the competition pool, call ahead to be sure it is not reserved for a competition or other special event.

The entrance fees are very reasonable, considering that you get a nice, hot shower, free use of a hairdryer, and the lockers return the £1 coin deposit.
[April, 2015]
During the day, only three or four lanes of the two 25 metre sections of Pool 2 may be open for lap swim, as swim lessons take the other lanes. The lap lanes are clearly marked with swim speeds (slow / medium / fast). No equipment (pull buoys / kick boards) appears to be available.
[May, 2022]