Exe Valley Leisure Centre

Last year only made it as far as the car park. After a long day fly fishing in the beautiful Exe Valley, the intention had been to round things off with a swim. However, exhaustion from a day on the river coupled with the hour-long drive back up the M5 to Bristol meant postponing the swim for another day seemed sensible.

Today was that day. Up early and out the door for the 6am lane swim session.

Arriving shortly after the session began, three things quickly became obvious: (a) it was exceptionally busy, (b) rope lanes were in use, and (c) the dreaded double-width lanes had made an appearance.

The double-width fast lane was already crowded with more than ten swimmers, promising a frustratingly slow and stop-start 1km swim. Jumping in the pool revealed another problem—the trusted Arena jammers had finally given way, with predictable embarrassment. Getting maximum mileage out of swimwear is always a gamble, especially in crowded pools. Last time it happened was during a flip turn, amusing the lifeguard greatly. Thankfully, spare swimwear was available.

With fresh swimwear, the return to the fast lane found it even busier. Double-width lanes, intended to ease overtaking, generally just add chaos, making passing multiple swimmers challenging and risky, particularly at the turns. After enduring a crowded 1km, a short break at the shallow end allowed time for some swimmers to leave. The lane was packed, at one point containing over 14 swimmers.

Swim complete, a quick poolside shower (no cubicles, very public!) was followed by heading out into the morning sunshine for the drive up the M5 to Clevedon. Passing through reception revealed a group voicing similar frustrations about lane arrangements and overcrowding. Proper single-width lanes would undoubtedly ease these problems, especially for faster swimmers.

Despite the chaos, the pool itself remains fantastic—clean, tidy, and with a bright, open atmosphere. Definitely worth returning to, ideally without the swimwear drama next time!