Cheltenham Lido: Prices, Swim Times, Parking and Café
Everything at Cheltenham Lido, the 50m outdoor pool on Keynsham Road: whether it is open now, winter swimming, swim and season ticket prices, the summer timetable, booking, the children's pool, parking, the café and where to eat nearby.
In short: Yes, Cheltenham Lido is open this winter. The lido, also known as Sandford Parks Lido, is a charity-run 50m outdoor pool on Keynsham Road, open since 1935. Its 2026/27 cold water season began on Saturday 24 October 2026, in unheated water. The heated season ran from 28 March to 9 October 2026, when a summer swim cost £8.20 for an adult and £18.50 for a family of four.
Cheltenham Lido is the town's outdoor pool: a 50m main pool, a shallow children's pool with a slide, a café and four acres of gardens, run by a registered charity. This guide covers prices, the timetable, booking, parking and winter swimming, then where to eat nearby. Lido facts come from its own website for the 2026 season and this winter. Restaurant facts come from each venue's own site, checked on 26 October 2026.
Is Cheltenham Lido open now?
Yes. The lido says its 2026/27 cold water swimming timetable is out and that winter swimmers are welcome back from Saturday 24 October 2026. You do not need a winter ticket: Pay As You Go sessions sit alongside monthly and full winter tickets. The water is not heated in this season. The heated summer pool, the children's pool and the timetable below return with the next heated season, which opened on 28 March in 2026.
How much does Cheltenham Lido cost?
A single summer swim cost £8.20 for an adult in 2026. Season tickets cover every swim of the heated season and add four hours' free parking per visit.
| Ticket | Single swim | 2026 season ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £8.20 | £220 |
| Couple | Not offered | £382 |
| Concession (age or health) | £5.80 | £130 |
| Concession (income based) | £5.50 | £103 |
| Family of 2 (1 adult, 1 child) | £9 | £278 |
| Family of 3 (2 adults, 1 child) | £15.50 | £393 |
| Family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) | £18.50 | £451 |
Extra children on a family season ticket were £60, and under 5s were free. Concessions need proof, such as a student card, a bus pass or a Blue Badge.
Cheltenham Lido
The main pool measures 50m by 27.35m, from 1m deep at the shallow end to 2.75m at the deep end. In summer the lido aims to keep it at 24°C. Beyond the water there are saunas, fitness classes, swimming lessons and lawns for a long afternoon.
- 🏊 50m heated outdoor pool
- 📅 2026 season: 28 Mar to 9 Oct
- 📞 01242 524430
- 📍 Keynsham Road, GL53 7PU
What were the summer swim times?
The 2026 heated season ran from 28 March to 9 October, after a season ticket holders' swim on 27 March. The summer timetable split the day into lane and open swims.
| Session | Days | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Lane swimming | Mon to Fri | 6.30am to 9.30am |
| Lane swimming | Sunday | 7.30am to 9.30am |
| Evening lanes | Mon, Tue, Thu, Sun | 6.15pm to 7.15pm |
| Open swim | Daily | 11am to 2.30pm, then 3pm to 6pm (7.30pm Wed, Fri, Sat) |
| Children's pool | Daily | From 11am, under 8s only |
Four lanes stay open during open swims, so lengths are possible all day. The pool closes for 30 minutes after every clap of thunder.
Do you need to book Cheltenham Lido?
Booking is not compulsory, but it decides who gets in first on a hot day. Booked season ticket holders and booked visitors enter first, then those who have not booked. Once the site is full, entry is one out, one in. Swim tickets are not refundable, but you can move a swim to another time with 24 hours' notice. Book through the lido's website.
Is Cheltenham Lido good for children?
Yes. The children's pool is for under 8s, 0.5m to 0.8m deep, heated to about 30°C, with a splash slide. Every child under 8 needs a guardian aged 16 or over, who can look after two children at most. The lido advises one adult per child for under 5s. Older swimmers aged 6 and up who swim well can try the inflatable, run on Thursday and Friday mornings in the summer holidays.
Can you swim at Cheltenham Lido in winter?
Yes, in a separate cold water season. This winter's began on Saturday 24 October 2026; last winter's ran from 25 October 2025 to 1 March 2026. The heating is off, so the water cools with the weather. The lido runs group inductions for beginners and a pre-booked Nordic Experience of sauna and ice baths. Last winter an adult season ticket with parking was £161; this winter's prices were not on the pages we could read, so check the lido's site before you buy.
Two dates are already in the lido's events list: a Christmas afternoon tea on 18 December and the Christmas Day swim on 25 December.
Where do you park for Cheltenham Lido?
The lido's own car park sits outside the gates, with space for over 163 cars. Cameras record your arrival, and you pay at the machine before you leave.
- 💷 From £2.20, coins, card or phone
- ♿ 7 disabled bays, Blue Badges pay too
- 🔌 8 EV chargers, 30p plus 40p per kWh
- 🎟️ Season tickets: 4 hours free
The lido points drivers to the 99 bus from Arle Court Park and Ride, which runs to Cheltenham General Hospital. For access, there is a pool hoist, ramps to the changing rooms and café, and a hearing loop at reception. Sunflower Swim, a quiet session for members with a Sunflower card, ran on Monday mornings in 2026.
Is there a café at Cheltenham Lido?
Yes. Paddy and Bear, a family-run café, serves breakfast, lunch, coffee and cake on site. In summer 2026 it opened 7.30am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm at weekends. Season ticket holders get 10% off hot drinks.
Where to eat and drink near Cheltenham Lido
Sandford Park Alehouse
A real ale pub on the High Street that calls its south-facing garden the biggest in the town centre. It stays open in winter under a marquee.
- ⏰ Daily from 11am (Sun 12pm)
- 🧒 Two kids eat free per adult meal, Sundays
- 🐕 Dogs welcome in the bar and garden
- 📍 High Street, Town Centre
Curious Cafe & Bistro
A Bath Road café for brunch after an early swim, with a children's menu for 10 and under and a covered pergola outside.
- ⏰ Food 8am to 2.45pm daily
- 📅 Books weekdays; weekends walk in
- 🐕 Dogs on leads welcome
- 📍 Bath Road, The Suffolks
Moran's Eating House
A family-owned restaurant and wine bar that serves food from 9am, so it suits a late breakfast as well as supper.
- 🍳 Full English £12.50, until 11.45am
- ⏰ Mon to Sat, 9am to 11pm
- 📞 Book by phone, 01242 581411
- 📍 Bath Road, The Suffolks
Prithvi
Refined Indian tasting menus at the town end of Bath Road, for a grown-up dinner rather than a post-swim lunch. Diners must be 12 or over.
- ⏰ Dinner Tue to Sat from 6pm
- 🍽️ Lunch Thu to Sat from 12pm
- 📅 Book online or by phone
- 📍 Bath Road, Town Centre
Cheltenham Lido: questions
Is Cheltenham Lido still open?
Yes. Its cold water season began on Saturday 24 October 2026, in unheated water, with Pay As You Go sessions as well as monthly and winter tickets. The heated season ran from 28 March to 9 October 2026.
How much is entry to Cheltenham Lido?
In summer 2026 a single swim cost £8.20 for an adult, £5.50 or £5.80 for concessions and £18.50 for a family of four. An adult season ticket cost £220. This winter's prices are on the lido's website.
Can you just turn up at Cheltenham Lido?
Yes, booking is not compulsory, but on warm summer days people who have booked go in first, and once the site is full entry is one out, one in. Booking online is the safe choice.
Is Sandford lido heated?
Yes, in the summer season, when the lido aims to keep the main pool at 24°C and the children's pool at 30°C. The heating is off in the cold water season, which began on 24 October 2026.
Is there parking at Cheltenham Lido?
Yes, a car park for over 163 cars outside the lido, from £2.20, paid at the machine before you leave. Blue Badge holders pay too, and there are seven disabled bays.