4 Heated Outdoor Pools for Cool Spring Days

Lehon swimming pool France

There's nothing better than finding an nice outdoor pool on a cycle ride or walk. Even better if its heated and its one of those cool spring days or even a cold winter day.

So here's our list of 4 wonderful heated pools, all open throughout the winter and all on biking or walking  tours we offer year round. 3 are in Britain and one in France.

• .Hampton Pool close to Hampton Court Palace and on the perimeter of Bushy Park. Accessed from any of our Lower Thames cycling and walking tours
• Chesham Moor in the Chiltern Hills. On our Chiltern Challenge Tour
• Bath Spa Thermae  The original and only natural spring in Britain first discovered in 863 BC. Heated by high temperature rocks 2km below the earth's surface, the waters rise through a city centre spring which until recently ran very wastefully into the River Avon. Since 2006 you can swim at roof top level in the waters which are 33C. On any of our tours going to Bath
• Lehon Pool, France. Minutes fromDinan this charming village and its pool are adjacent to the Rance river. On our Emerald Coast Tour

Bath and Jane Austen

Jane Austen is one of Bath's most famous residents. She and her family lived there from 1801 for 5 years when it was a thrivimg spa resort and popular with  fashionable society. Two of Austen's novels - Northanger Abbey and Persuasion  are largely set in Bath. The BBC rendition of Persuasion was partly filmed in Bath with the ballroom scenes being staged in one of its elegant town houses. If you want to stay in this immaculately restored house then take our Cotswolds and Bath Tour and you will have 2 fine nights there.
If you fancy dressing up in full Regency costume and parading the streets then you could visit the Jane Austen Festival which this year takes place from September 17 - 25
If you want to download a free audio walking tour of Austen's Bath - In the Footsteps of Jane Austen, then click here

Jane may have sighed wearily as she wrote to a friend "that Bath is still Bath" ; we're just thankful that its so well preserved.