Kentish Town Sports Centre - Willes Pool

Opened in 1901 as the Prince of Wales Baths, the multi-purpose building originally incorporated a wash house, public hall and baths. Victorian in every sense, there were separate bathing areas for men and women and even a class system for entry. Second class men didn't get a towel or soap, which feels oddly familiar today, although someone did leave a bottle of shower gel in the showers!

By the 1990s the baths were in a poor state and looked destined to close forever, but fortunately the building was saved and restored in the 2010s.

A quick couple of tube stops up from Edgware Road and I'm in Kentish Town. From the station it's a brisk five minute walk down the high street to the splendid red brick Victorian pool building.

Inside, I pay the fairly standard London entrance fee of £8.10, plus the obligatory Better Gyms 30p locker token fee. Through the turnstiles and into quite modern looking changing rooms, complete with a spin dryer.

I'm pretty sure there are three pools here, the Willes Pool, a 30.5m (100ft) historic pool, a small learner pool, and the Grafton Pool, a modern 25m lane pool. Emerging from the changing rooms I'm immediately out into the Victorian pool hall, which can only be the 100ft Willes Pool. I have no idea where the other pools are!

The five lane pool is divided into three swimming lanes. The left hand 'fast' lane seems to be occupied by an adult swim lesson, so I hop into the wider middle lane with a couple of other reasonably paced swimmers and get going.

Before starting I double check the length with the lifeguard. Yep, definitely 30.5 metres. The Garmin won't do half metres and I'm only half sure how to handle a 100ft pool, so I round it down to 30m on the watch. I'll remember later why the pace looks a bit suspicious, and have my excuses ready if challenged.

The water is clear and perfectly cold.

I plan the usual 1.6km warm-up, but that doesn't quite fit with a 30m length, so I play a little guessing game. If I think I've hit 1,200m and I'm right, I can stop. If not, I have to keep going. So about 1,800m later, I pause the watch for a quick drink.

I finish up with 3,300m in total. Towards the end things get a bit awkward as the third 'fast' lane opens up and a few people seem slightly annoyed that I'm causing chaos in the 'medium' lane. Hard to explain that this was the fast lane when I started!

For the final lengths I move across to the fast lane and play another game, avoiding the protruding circular water filter on the wall during flip turns without breaking an ankle.

Swim done, I just about manage to haul myself out of the very high pool side, while the lifeguard watches and probably wonders why I didn't use the steps three feet away.

He clearly doesn't understand the no steps rule.

Swim finished, I head back to Kentish Town high street for my first ever Gail's cinnamon bun experience.