Oasis Sports Centre

Alsation

Hidden oasis 15th September 2008

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The Oasis is one of the few places that makes it worth living in Covent Garden. Having a local, heated, outdoor pool within walking distance is great. The Oasis is more than just a swimming pool, with gym, sauna, squash courts, physio and sports injury treatment rooms and more.
But it will always be the magnificent outdoor pool, that is open year round, that makes this place so special. On a damp, cold, winter’s morning the steam gently rises off the water when you’re speeding through it. In summer it tends to get extremely busy and crowded during the day, but the early morning lane swimming doesn’t suffer from this.
There is also a decent indoor pool, but this tends to be used for school swimming and for special groups. On top of the building is a large sun deck with picnic benches and lots of space to soak up a few rays.
The place is managed by Camden Council, who invest just enough money to keep the facilities in an acceptable condition. It is not luxurious or posh, but decent enough to make it one of London’s best leisure gems.

Frankie

Oasis in a concrete jungle 23rd March 2007

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The only public HEATED outdoor pool that I know in London. (If you know of another one, please share.)

Oasis is actually one of the main Camden sports centres. If you're a resident or work in Camden, it's cheaper. It has a gym and exercise classes (all the usual things) but I can't recommend those bits as I only go for the pool.
There's two pools, side by side. One indoors and one outdoors and it's the outdoors one that's the real oasis.

It's lovely during the winter when it's icelandically steamy. Remember to take flip flops or you'll have frost bitten toes before you get in. Summer is beautiful too - I think it's the afternoon when it gets the sun. Dive down and swim up through a fizz of bubbles... There's space to sunbathe or picnic on a boat-like upper deck which overlooks the water. The little cafe is indoors and also overlooks the swimming antics going on outside. You can get a cheese and tomato toasty or something.

Practical info: one end of the pool is very deep so you could dive if you wanted. Length around 25m. Fast lane, medium and slow. There are lots of kids in the summer holidays. The changing rooms are a bit grim (freezing in winter) and you need the right change for the lockers. Ask directions from the changing rooms to the pool - it's a maze of corridors. Cost is average price for a swim in London.

Found this excellent link with a virtual tour of the centre (although strangely, it doesn't show the swimming pool very much!).

http://www3.camden.gov.uk/leisure/sport/oasis/

tel:020 7831 1804