Mounts Baths

I'm heading home after a week on the road. I've been back from my month-long jolly in Spain for almost four weeks, and not a lot of swimming has happened in that time! I've had some sort of chest infection type thing and only swum three or four times since coming home. So it's about time a new pool hits the list.

The route home takes me north up the M1 and, always keen to seek out interesting, unusual or historic pools, I'm heading to Northampton for a swim in the Art Deco Mounts Baths.

Opened in October 1936, the pool is 90 this month! The Grade II listed baths were designed by J. C. Prestwich & Sons as part of a new civic centre. There were plans for an outdoor pool at the back too, but that one never got built.

I've booked my 11:30am session on the love/hate Everyone Active app. I've had to sign up for a new account again using another email address because it's telling me I have multiple accounts using my usual one!!

Scan the QR code on receiption to check-in, then head to the newly refurbished communal changing rooms that run down the left side of the pool. Considering it's a Grade II listed building, it's great to see modern changing facilities alongside all the Art Deco wonderfulness of the main pool hall. After a quick stretch, it's out to the pool deck.

It's an impressive pool hall. I love the huge arches! Those eight reinforced concrete parabolic arches span the hall, with supports rising from their sides to hold up the stepped, glazed walls. The design makes room for rows of huge windows, bringing daylight and ventilation into the hall.

The pool is quiet, with half a dozen swimmers. The lane booking system has slightly duped me: when it says lanes 3 and 4 are fast lanes, it turns out they're combined into one double-width lane! That's not a problem though, standard far in UK pools these days it seems! I won't even comment on the rope lanes! Hop into the fast lane in the middle with one other guy doing drills at a decent pace, with lots of fins and kicking!

Keen to get some metres in today, I'm hoping my lane buddy with his fins will give my pace a prod. I've got an hour to do 100 lengths!

The plan starts at 1600m, until I realise that doesn't divide neatly by the 30m pool length. I adjust it to 1.5km, then forget to stop. Never one to hit the lap button on anything but a tidy number, I keep going to 2.1km. Then it's some 120s and a final two lengths to bring the swim total to an acceptable 3km, right on the whistle. It's been a choppy swim and the heart rate is definitly higher than usual! Hopefully some fitness benefit today!

Swim done, it's back out into the pouring rain for the drive home, another 90 minutes or so. I'm definitely missing that 30-degree Spanish sun!