Crown Pools

Positive experience: Had a wave machine and a swimming lane with a small size pool and a big pool with the wave machine but to access some parts you need to be able to swim!

Positive experience: Nice pool but very busy, choose your time carefully as it can get very crowded.

Positive experience: Like swimming here although water feels cold when you get in, but once you start swimming it's fine reason for 4 stars is I had to pay to spectate despite being a regular user.

Fantastic experience: Great pool with lots of fun for everyone in the family

Positive experience: Good as a 25 metre competition pool.

Positive experience: Clean enough for a public pool. Went on Saturday and the small pool was closed but the leisure pool with waves was enough to keep 6 year old happy. Worth a visit.

Positive experience: It's OK, but sauna/steam room could do with refurb, not sure why you would need so many loungers outside, makes more sense to have bigger steam and sauna rooms. Nice enough, but I wouldn't walk barefoot in there , not saying they don't clean it, as they might, but just by looking around its not great

Fantastic experience: Best time to go for lane swimming is mid-afternoon, usually the quietest time

Fantastic experience: Very nice pool, with a heated pool for younger children. Plenty of lifeguards and also feel safe when visiting. They have a wave machine that goes off every 20 or so minutes which is a fun addition. Plenty of family changing rooms also.

Positive experience: Great pool been coming since it opened. Kids love the wave machine and leisure pool in general. Clean changing rooms too with staff cleaning whilst we were there. Staff helpful when my locker wouldn't open too. Only reason for 4 stars needs some attention maybe a refurbishment as starting to look very tatty in places especially when you look up in leisure pool area.

Fantastic experience: This is a fantastic place to swim, it is always beautifully clean and and friendly. The guards make you feel safe. Our grandchildren from Cornwall rated this the best place to go in Ipswich because they loved the wave machine. If you go more than 4 times a month it is economical to get a card.

Fantastic experience: Still going strong after nearly 45yrs ! Took the youngest to the wave pool. Good time had by all.

Positive experience: Changing areas were quite dirty and several black damp patches on floor tiles. Would benefit from slide but quite a small leisure pool for size of town

Negative experience: £4.50 for a 3 year old for a little over a hour session is abysmal. How does that promote healthy living to the people of Ipswich? Half the changing blocked off because of police dealing with trouble and the cleaners deciding to clean the other side at the same time meant it took an age to get a changing room, all eating into the paltry hour and 15 time limit. The swimming pool itself was nice enough and fun for the kids but I couldn't recommend the pool to anyone because of the poor value for money and low quality overall experience. Many councils don't charge children until 5. Do better.

Positive experience: Changing room floors smell of wee.

Negative experience: Absolutely horrible was waiting 25 minutes in the que to get in just to be told it was full capacity and couldn't go in after traveling 30 minutes with the kids to go swimming there is no booking system and works on a one in one out basis all in all a horrendous experience

Positive experience: Wave machine isn't as fierce as the past. But good well maintained changing rooms. Could do with a spruce up

Positive experience: Pool had a fair amount of "debris" floating about, changing rooms weren't very clean and smelled of urine.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic, affordable option for a swim if you're in town for a few days. The pool is lovely. Lanes for fast, medium and slower swimmers.

Positive experience: I Love Their Wave Machine And I Think It's A Great Place To Swim If Your Ever In Ipswich.

Fantastic experience: Just went for landed swim in the eve, clean, not too busy.

Negative experience: Terrible place Would not recommend this dump! Old, worn out facilities… expensive … and “police” that call themselves life guards that have to follow pathetic rules. Apparently a perfectly capable 6 year old swimmer that happens to use arm bands are “non swimmers” so are demoted to a pathetically small area which barely can swim in as it is so shallow. How are they meant to practise if they cannot swim where it’s deep enough? Pathetic health and safety rules that don’t do anything apart from suck the fun out of swimming for young and old

Negative experience: Swim here/use the gym at least 4 times a week. Why is it however that the lane pool is closed so often for the gala or lessons? I pay a membership to be able to use the facilities, keep fit and have an easy experience. The “gala” and any functions should be held at Fore Street. Alternatively don’t close the entirety of the lane pool? Otherwise the facilities are REALLY showing their age, there’s almost always a putrid stench in the changing area, same goes for the steam room/sauna (when it’s actually working) the iCard swipe on the health suite door has been busted since November, the place just needs better care.

Positive experience: Nice family pool. Unfortunately they had to close for 30 minutes to clean the pool thanks to some unsavoury objects but it was dealt with quickly and cleaned and we were able to carry on so trip wasn’t wasted.

Fantastic experience: A good, well looked-after facility. The entire building was spotlessly clean. Plenty of space in the competition pool, which had lovely clear water, and a teaching pool and leisure pool.

Negative experience: No drinks hot or cold available in the building. The coffee machine downstairs is "out of order" the coffee machine upstairs reads "temperature low" and apparently it's been like this for days! Surely it must warrant it's own out of order sign by now? The other dispensing machines only sell Mars confectionery and crisps. Surely a sports and leisure centre should sell water? I went across the road to Sailmakers to get myself a coffee and some water for the kids and no doubt saved myself some money in doing so!

Fantastic experience: Normally a lovely pool, great disabled facilities . shame about the child poop on the pool 1st time in the 6 times we have visited.

Negative experience: Today I am at crown pools. Come most Sundays with grandchildren. I spectate and usually get a cup of hot chocolate. Well today one machine says low temperature and other one has no cups. When I approached desk the didn't know why it said low temp and would send someone to have a look ....... Still waiting.......

Positive experience: Good location and great services.. The staff is very supportive..

Fantastic experience: Love this place every one so friendly and clean three pools one for babys one for fun nice and warm and the professional pool but happy to say they have opened the three end line's to whonabes like me

Fantastic experience: Great leisure facility in the heart of Ipswich. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. I will be returning to use the centre as soon as I can.

Negative experience: Out dated yo host the county championships. Seats are broken and uncomfortable and not enough seats for thr paying spectators. UEA should be the go to from now on

Fantastic experience: My son just had his birthday party at crown pools and all the mums were so happy with the facilities and the party. The party area was more than big enough and they were able to provide a little box of things we might need and have forgotten for the party which was a lovely touch. Although we tried to be prompt with the times it took us a while to clear up and get out but they didn’t chase us or anything. It was a lovely chilled party and for an excellent price. I suspect we’ll all be back next year and probably others will be too! Thank you for special memories!

Positive experience: Lovely pool but toilets need to be cleaned properly, friendly staff , good value .

Negative experience: Swimming lovely but when I got out there was a cleaning lady who was really rude I'm trying to frighten me by sayin she go throw me in the water where I said I had Autistic did not understand her and then she laughed said I could use it as excuses Rest of the experience was great

Negative experience: Baby pool was very cold, my four mouth old went a bit blue!! Wasn’t impressed at all.

Positive experience: I remember coming here when I was younger and it being a lot cleaner than, this they’ve slipped up on cleaning and should invest in hiring a proper cleaner as it’s just going to drive people away

Positive experience: Good pool and steam. But it would be great to upgrade some of the equipment for the comfort of visitors. And I also noticed that the steam heats up perfectly in the evenings, but during the day it heats up much less.

Fantastic experience: Ipswich's main swimming pool. I like to bring my kids here: there's a heated pool for toddlers and a larger pool with small slide & wave machine. Prices are reasonable and the changing areas are spacious are fairly clean

Fantastic experience: Crown Pools is an excellent swimming facility with something for everyone. The pool is well-maintained and the staff is friendly and helpful. The staff are very knowledgeable and are always willing to answer any questions. The facility also offers a variety of classes from basic swimming lessons to more advanced aquatic activities. I highly recommend Crown Pools for anyone looking for a great place to swim.

Positive experience: The pool could do with updating, as little has changed in decades. I believe it's being replaced in the coming years, so fingers crossed we see some log flumes, etc. However, we got in on the summer iCard scheme and you can't fault 6 weeks of swimming for £6.

Negative experience: Dear oh dear. 1.8m deep end and permanent fixed diving blocks, but a blanket NO DIVING policy across the whole pool. What’s gone wrong here?

Fantastic experience: Great swimming pools , my grandson had a wonderful time especially in the wave pool, you are allowed to take inflatable balls in as well and entrance fee was very affordable. Changing area was clean and on entry and leaving there was an attendant cleaning. Will definitely go again when down in Suffolk.

Fantastic experience: The kids love this pool, and we do too. It's a long drive from Norwich but makes for a day out. It's not too pricey and lots of fun, and the baby pool is soooo hot.

Positive experience: A nice family pool. With the wave machine, always a winner with the children, a nice separate baby pool also has a lane pool. Lovely warm showers Due for some cosmetic upgrades & re tileing..

Fantastic experience: Good fun with our son & his children. Much more to interest (water toys) since our children's time.

Negative experience: They put so much chemicals in pool - there not possible even breathe ! My child has problems with health after visited this pool and me as well!

Positive experience: Cheap and cheerful. Not as good as Colchester for toddlers

Positive experience: Always a nice clean pool. A little disappointed there was wristband restrictions on a Sunday due to staff shortages but these things happen. The lifeguards are always very alert and there's plenty of them covering different areas of the pool. Also the pool is like taking a hot bath so no complaints there.

Fantastic experience: Was quiet when we arrived, plenty of changing available, cheap tickets for 2 adults and a child. Pool was a nice temp not busy, and had floats out for the little one.

Positive experience: Hadn't been for a long while so wasn't sure what to expect. Very clean and welcoming. Warm leisure pool. Will join to swim on a regular basis

Fantastic experience: Too many people in the pool at times which makes it difficult to swim, especially when people are very obviously meant to be in the fast lane but for some reason choose to make everyone feel rushed but that's not the venue's fault. I'd advise calling ahead regarding times because sometimes website isn't accurate. Pool is nice, warm, and multiple lanes. Always appears clean and staff are friendly. Gym is nice and clean too. Memberships are reasonable.

Positive experience: We really enjoy going here it's cheap for all of us to go and it's unlimited time which is great only frustrating thing is the cleaner people literally take things even if u put them down for a couple mins and stick it straight in lost property.

Fantastic experience: Love the little gym and the swimming pool!

Positive experience: Price is ok. Not too expensive compared to other places. Leisure pool is warm which is great. wave machine and little slides. The is a seal that spits out water which is just in the way in my opinion. Changing rooms were smelly. Showers were cold. Couldn't go in the baby pool due to swimming lessons. This seams to be closed to public every time I go. kids had a nice time but I think I'll stick with Felixstowe

Fantastic experience: We love crown pools and have been coming here for years.

Fantastic experience: The children's pool was a really nice temperature. Perfect for our baby.

Positive experience: Great place to take the kids. Just wish the bathrooms were cleaned more regularly.

Fantastic experience: Excellent place. Staff super friendly and reasonable prices for swimming.waveacgine children's pool and competition pool Great day out

Negative experience: Went in the gym at 435pm on a Sunday says shuts at 5pm online no mention of a last entry time was going for a short workout to be abusively shouted at by a man and then a woman who reacted very badly to me filming their behaviour. I was cornered in a doorway there were 3 of them cancelled my gym membership. Do not use these facilities.

Negative experience: Outdated!! Maybe it was good 100 years ago.council should invest money to refurbish the place

Fantastic experience: I been with family here a few times and I had a great time. Now we bring here our daughters for swimming lessons and is great what they offer as we been dissapointed with other swimming school in Ipswich. Here everything is ok.

Fantastic experience: Really like this pool. Nice and quiet during the week. Great accessibility for toddlers. Pretty clean and reasonably priced

Positive experience: Pool looking a bit tired now but friendly staff.

Positive experience: Swimming pool is open from pretty early which is great. There are only 3 private showers to wash in after a session and it can be difficult to get into one on a busy day. The only other downside is location as there isn't any nearby free parking during the day, but the bus station is right opposite if you want to avoid parking altogether.

Fantastic experience: Good location and reasonable pricing. Always friendly and helpful staff. Place needs some money and refurbishment.

Negative experience: Would not recommend swimming here. 3 boys aged from 8 months to 8. Was told to watch the two oldest boys while my 8 month old was screaming. It was almost as though the staff wanted everyone to sit in one spot and just not move. The kids where told they couldn't jump into the pool while others where. Felt like we had been singled out and watched constantly.

Fantastic experience: Swimming in crown pool is the most cherished experience I have in my full day. I recommend swimming to all my friends.

Fantastic experience: I have been swimming here since it opened in 1984. The facilities have reduced from when it was in its prime (with a classic 1980s colour scheme of brown and orange!). For example, the cafe and small bar are no longer there (or at least used for those purposes), and the inflatable giant slide (in the leisure pool) and inflatable assault course (in the competition pool) are long gone. However, having been to many swimming pools around the country, Crown Pools is by far one of the better ones, and I'm yet to visit any other complex that has three proper pools like Crown Pools does, with something for everyone. The centre is generally clean, the staff are fine and the temperature reasonable. Yes, you do get people who behave rather selfishly in there from time to time, but you cannot blame the venue for that and in sure the same is true of most places like this. The reality is if someone is really causing a problem, the management will deal with it. No silly booking systems or time limited sessions like most other pools, just turn up when you like and crack on. If I was being fussy.... - It's a shame there is no cafe, I understand the previous one lost money, hence it closing. I wonder if the Council considered letting it out to private operators? - It's quite rare in the week to be able to use all three pools at any one time, due to the amount of pre-booked users for lessons etc. But that is quite understandable when the centre has to make best use of the facilities in terms of number of users. A very good venue on the whole, and having been to many others, one I no longer take for granted!

Negative experience: Pool was cold even after swimming around. After getting out the pool it was freezing and couldn’t warm out. Need to do warmer especially this time of year!

Positive experience: My daughter, has swimming lessons at Crown pools. Nice staff...

Positive experience: There are various pools with one for babies and young children, a fun pool with a wave making machine and another 25M long for swimmers wanting to swim competitively or just to keep fit. The showers and changing facilities are of a high standard.

Positive experience: It's a bit tired on the inside. The most annoying part was not being able to take my 6yr old into the large swimming pool to practise her swimming. I know there was lane swimming happening and we were supper observant to not interrupt the 2 people using it. She couldn't practice in the baby pool or wave machine pool. And we were asked to leave the big pool. Other then that gripe. Waves happen every 20mins quite strong. Loads of life guards on the side and on the ball watching people. And the band system seemed to work well for the busy period of time we were in there for. Changing rooms clean and adequate.

Negative experience: First time been. Changing rooms clean Disappointed with baby pool as not very baby proof Then tried going on slides but wave machine going off every time. However Tempreture of water was lovely

Positive experience: Staff are friendly and the pool is nice, but you can't get away from the fact that it's very very tired.

Positive experience: I've been bringing my little one to swim here and he loves the wave pool. The website could do with more information on time slots as we intended to use the baby pool but it was shut for lessons. There also needs to be more large family cubicles.

Negative experience: Staff are rude, don't even know their own rules about children and adults swimming. Lifeguards if that's what you wanna call them, are useless, they are too busy talking to each other on their walkie-talkies and not watching people in the pool. Seems one for one and another for other people.

Negative experience: Used to be a HALF decent pool. Just got told I need to look after my kid because I was at the bottom of their little kids slid and my daughter wasn't even half way round to the steps? A new rule says you have to be in Arms reach? Well how is she meant to get to the bottom without stopping half way down the slide? Then got moaned at for being a couple metres away from being able to touch the barrier rope? I'm 6'4 standing feet flat and head above the waves by myself but the 10 year old are are fine? Tried complaining and getting a refund but no Supervisor was reachable!

Positive experience: How are the prices? Is it paid by the hour or by the day? And what do you have access to? I want go to days….

Fantastic experience: Had a lovely time with my wife and kids. Awesome wave pool and plenty of fun my the family to have.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely positive experience. Staff is very helpful and attentive to safety. The temperature is comfy to stay in the water for more than an hour even for kids. The only inconvenience was necessity of coins for cabins and hair dryer.

Negative experience: I'm shocked by what I saw, I'm shocked. From the conditions in which the pool is located, where adults with children come, a person who owes money there, he, in fact, does not invest anything at all in many places. It just hurts terribly everywhere there are some machines. What you have to pay for even just to dry your hair. It's just awful In general, I think that they should also work there. specially service since this place is not safeDespite the fact that they allegedly cleaned everywhere, people washed the floors where there is water, but in the main hall, where the pool was located. Today there were some flower beds that are simply in a terrible state. I could advise you. You could just put in some plastic or glass sculptures. It would look much more solid and much more attractive that I saw rotten plants on the floor, some kind of earth scattered towards me along with garbage, plus it's all on the floor. It's just awful.I was very dissatisfied. And I would even say that in this institution they should carry out an appropriate check, since in many places, in my opinion, and, in my opinion, there is a need to check whether the ceilings, where we saw rust, are really there is in order and nothing can fall on the head of children or adults, I would also like to ask a question to a specific manager who is responsible for this, where and what he spends money on, because what we saw there was not invested for a very long time. Actually, it's just terrible.I don’t understand at all why you need to pay more for the sauna, which is located at the other end, and in order to get there you need to understand where to go, moreover, there is a small room next to the two saunas, which sometimes remains open, since there are also chemicals that are available to any person So sorry, but I was very dissatisfied. Even though everything was pretty cheap, you know, I've been to many places, be it cheap or expensive, but it's just awful And also when there are a lot of people on weekends, I don’t understand at all why the vending machines that sell chocolates, snickers and drinks for children are empty vending machines

Fantastic experience: Always a good swim, lots of people moan but for the price we pay on a monthly ticket for what you get it's very good value

Negative experience: Allowing a group of men to photograph other peoples children in the baby pool. How disgusting of you! Lifeguards failing to move the men on which means they failed to safeguard children from predators. You should all be ashamed of yourselves!

Negative experience: I took my 7 year old daughter for a swim and was disgusted that there was a large group of men with their phones out filming the whole pool, whilst laying on the baby slides. They then thought it appropriate to jump into the toddler pool whilst a young child was having a lesson. Although several people voiced concern and that they felt uncomfortable to lifeguards, they weren’t removed. I feel the lifeguards weren’t backed up by anyone in a managerial position. The majority of parents with young children left the pool in disappointment. The men continued inappropriate behaviour in the changing rooms.

Positive experience: Crown pools is a very nice pool complex. I went to swim laps which is in the competition pool. There is also a toddler/kids pool and a main pool with wave machine. Changing rooms were clean and spacious. #pool #swimming

Negative experience: The gym is TINY. Just beware. There's not enough machines to do a thorough body workout, there's no stretching or freeweight area. Theres a bunch of machines overcrowded in a tiny space divided in 2 rooms. Not a proper gym. Also went swimming on a Monday evening and they had closed ALL the lanes for a few hours due to swimming lessons. I think they should leave at least 2 lanes opened for the public as we pay out monthly suscription as everybody else. Very, very disappointed, I was very happy to have a leisure centre 2 minutes away from my new house and I don't think I'll be using it.

Positive experience: Visited for the first time with my son. Not as big as I was expecting and the community pool is further limited in size by constructions in the pool area, so you're limited to splashing about rather than swimming.

Negative experience: Usually go out of half term and the toddler pool is usually calm and a lovely place to be but going there during school holidays is a big nope. Lifeguards not paying attention. Older kids jumping in the toddler pool and almost knocking a small baby out of a woman's arms.

Fantastic experience: We visited from abroad and wanted to spend the morning swimming with our little kids. It was clean, fun and comfortable! Definitely recommend.

Positive experience: I dont enjoy swimming but take people I support with learning disabilities. They really enjoy it & love the wave machine.

Positive experience: Pool is pretty well kept the sauna is only small as is the steam room however its quite friendly ,there is only one toilet area and if your in sauna then you got to walk all the way back to changing room to use the toilet .

Fantastic experience: Great experience. Very cheap and staff is amazing. I recommend Family Friday if you are going with little kids. The changing room have cubicles and you get a lot of privacy when changing. The water was warm and the staff didn't rushed us out even if we stayed quite late. Our little one loved the slide and the wave machine.

Positive experience: Good swimming pool with wave machine every 20 minutes in leisure pool. Also a competition pool & baby pool.

Negative experience: Not a good experience in terms of disability access (not just physical). When I first visited the staff were not helpful relating to access. As I was leaving I overheard another disabled person having issues - I felt like it was enough to cement my initial opinion. Inside was not particularly clean and I felt glad to go home and have a shower

Positive experience: Wry cold, placed needs to install a door before the changing rooms, improve the showers and heat the pool

Fantastic experience: Excellent leisure pool for my 2 year old - great for building confidence and fantastic that they have floats etc out in the pool. He loved the slide too.

Fantastic experience: Our daughter has had swimming lessons since she was a baby. 6 years on and still growing strong. The swim team are great and patient with young learners

Fantastic experience: Clean and warm Pool was clean and surprised how warm it was , changing rooms clean and dry

Negative experience: I enjoy taking my children here but the water was really dirty making me think twice about coming back. I saw at least 4 used plasters float past of differing sizes and colours, a clump of hair entangled in my hand, an elastic hair band bobbed in the water along with several coloured paper wrist bands that get issued on entry.