Queen Mother Sports Centre
London, England, UNITED KINGDOM
Adult Admission Price & Policy
Drop-in/Casual
£8.05. [May, 2023]
Note: Admission policies and prices shown in Swimmers Guide listings are believed to be correct as of the date(s) 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.
Note: Admission policies and prices shown in Swimmers Guide listings are believed to be correct as of the date(s) 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
Location
Location
Behind (and very convenient to) Victoria Station. Nearest tube: Victoria
Historical County
London Metropolitan Area
GPS
51.493335, -0.140594
Teams That Use This Facility
Water Polo
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Facility Notes
The pool usually has four lanes for swimmers of slow, "getting faster" and two fast lanes.
Facility Reviews
Rating: 6 on a scale of 10. Crowded, many breaststrokers in the freestyle lane, making it hard to swim hard.
Nice facilities, but at 29ºC (84ºF), it's too hot for training.
Nice and clean. Not crowded at 8 AM. Two lanes with lane lines, the rest, a free-for-all. Water too warm; probably 86ºF (30ºC).
Busy, especially evenings. Staff laissez-faire.
Not too warm: ~82º F (28ºC). Very crowded at 6 PM on a Monday, but bright, clean, and good for a workout.
The change rooms have been recently renovated; they are pleasant but there are not enough benches, so they get very crowded. Lane discipline has gone downhill. There a lot of very slow swimmers in the fast lane - and aggressive with it! It's getting hotter all the time - 30ºC. This pool used to be a pleasure but is now very disappointing.
[June, 2013]
[June, 2013]
Swam at 8:30 a.m. on a weekday; the crowd was modest and lane speed was being followed by all. Medium seemed to mean "okay for breast stroke" and I didn't encounter any breaststrokers in the fast lane. Agree on the locker room comment -- much improved.
[May, 2014]
[May, 2014]
I swam here in October, 2014, in the morning. Eight swimmers per lane. A little cold. But I still got a decent workout.
[December, 2014]
[December, 2014]
The lap pool is clean, not over-chlorinated, but slightly on the warm side. Between 8 and 9 AM on a Thursday, there were two to four swimmers per lane. Decent speed regulation. Pull buoys and small kickboards are available poolside. The communal shower area is a bit cramped; the showers and changing areas reasonably clean.
[April, 2015]
[April, 2015]
During a late morning weekday visit, I found the water a good cool temperature for swimming. The fast and medium lanes were not crowded or aggressive.
Towel hire is £2 with a £5 deposit. The changing room is upstairs, then down stairs. It is single sex communal and the lockers take a £1 returnable deposit.
[November, 2017]
Towel hire is £2 with a £5 deposit. The changing room is upstairs, then down stairs. It is single sex communal and the lockers take a £1 returnable deposit.
[November, 2017]
I swim here regularly. At 27º - 28º, the pool temperature is better than it was years ago - not too hot for faster swimming. Cleanliness, however, is a problem. This is a council pool managed by a third-party management company that does a terrible job. It has a very high use by many different groups but that is not an excuse. You shouldn't worry about bacteria, as there is so much chlorine in the water that you will be well and truly sterilized by the time you get out. The lanes are often busy but they're a decent width for over-taking, which you will need as the lifeguards, like most of the staff here, have a horrible work-ethic. The lanes are marked slow, medium, etc. but nobody takes any notice - it can get pretty chaotic. The change rooms are in appalling state, as are the toilets (faeces smeared on walls, etc.). It is an OK choice in a city with very poor public swimming options - at least they keep it a decent temperature.
[October, 2018]
[October, 2018]
In order to swim here, you need to register on their website. Not being from UK, however, I had troubles, so front staff did it for me. Then you get a card but you can also download the APP and use your phone. The cost for a swim is £8.05. From the APP you book a one-hour lane swim specifically in a fast, medium, or slow lane.
I found that they’re pretty laidback if you enter sooner or leave later. But you can’t get into the facility until 30 minutes before your time.
The changing room is basic but nice. They do have hair dryers. And you should bring a lock for the lockers. If you forget your goggles, ear plugs, swim cap, swimsuit or lock, you can buy them at the centre.
[May, 2023]
I found that they’re pretty laidback if you enter sooner or leave later. But you can’t get into the facility until 30 minutes before your time.
The changing room is basic but nice. They do have hair dryers. And you should bring a lock for the lockers. If you forget your goggles, ear plugs, swim cap, swimsuit or lock, you can buy them at the centre.
[May, 2023]