Jesus Green Lido

Jesus Green Lido on Midsummer Common is an outdoor swimming pool that has been operating since 1923. At 91 metres long it is one of the longest outdoor pools in the UK, though it is unusually narrow — more of a lap pool outdoors than a classic lido. The pool is heated and open from late May through mid-September.

Swimming here on a warm Cambridge morning, with the willows on the Cam visible over the pool edge, is one of the genuinely pleasurable outdoor experiences the city offers. Admission is modest (around £4 for adults). The pool gets busy on warm summer weekends; arrive early or aim for a weekday.

things to do sight swimming
A story
The lido is 91 metres long and less than 10 metres wide — a ratio of roughly nine to one, which makes it a very strange swimming experience. It was built in this shape because it follows the line of the original river channel that ran through Jesus Green before the Cam was straightened. The design constraint became the defining characteristic: it is essentially a lane pool masquerading as an outdoor lido.

Other places in Things to Do