Northcroft Leisure Centre

Negative experience: Booked 55min of table tennis ... wheels on the table were naked and both sides of the table and we had to use bit of cardboard box folded in 4 to try to get same level on both sides. Net ... absolutely demolished both sides different hight ... and also plenty of dust fluff/glitter/sand... on the floor where i belive should be cleaned once a week... very disappointed as my 5yr old slipped few times and her clothes looked like she was playing outside... absolutely awful .

Fantastic experience: Super helpful service and great soft play area that my son loved.

Fantastic experience: Friendly staff

Positive experience: Outdoor pool open during the summer months. Really nice as it's been recently refurbished

Fantastic experience: Fantastic facilities!! Would recommend to anyone with children!

Fantastic experience: Oppa! What with the unappreciative optionions about this facility. We took a 2hours bus trip to get there. This is the only facility that have an Outdoor water slides within Oxfordshire (its just outside Oxfordshire- we have none in oxon) The weather wasnt helping much and water was cold for my liking but im eager to have a nice weather again before they close for the season. Wish we got to know about this place earlier. Bring your picnic; they dont have other than crisps, icecream, drinks in the kiosk. It would be real nice to have hot food in there like pizza, french fries as 3 hours for us was too much to rely only on cold snacks and fruits.

Positive experience: Clean, spacious and well priced. Found the life guards slightly over zealous.

Fantastic experience: Great facility for the town

Negative experience: Asking about ethnicity is an absolute no go. This would not be allowed in my country (Holland). The app is also an absolute disaster in many ways. Is this considered normal? I regret paying up front in this ridiculous matter and don’t feel like going.

Negative experience: Well.. I was going to leave a good review, until today. Leisure centre is trying to make as much money as possible at the cost of over booking people. This is regarding the outdoor lido. There was about 550 people there today, and they don't have capacity for this. You couldn't move at all in the pool. You couldn't stretch your arms without slapping anyone, let alone swim or play with the kids. The blue slides are okay, but the green one... it's ridiculous. You don't slide. You need to keep pushing yourself, you stop in the middle of it. Also, the splash area for some reason keeps stopping every 5 minutes. Kids are there playing and suddenly water gets shut off. What's the point? And really, it was too overwhelming with so many people in the pool. Horrible. Changing rooms were also dirty and outside changing facilities by the splash area are not fully working as 2 out of 3 doors ate broken and one of them hasn't got a handle on the inside, I almost got locked there. It takes more than 20min to get inside and they make you come out 5min before your session ends. Not impressed for the price for 3 hours. (Not really 3 hours after all).

Fantastic experience: The Lido is just amazing.

Negative experience: NEW £10+ Charge just to spectate and supervise your children?!?! The same cost whether you swim or just observe? Unacceptable! Spectators are not using the facilities and if anything adults accompanying children should be encouraged surely?! A simple paper wrist band detects spectators and swimmers in better run pools. No wonder it’s almost empty on a hot sunny Saturday in the summer hols, as I’m sure it’s now unaffordable for many families. So sad companies keep finding new ways to charge more :( the people that are here seem to be one adult with children to keep their costs down… so sad and very greedy.

Fantastic experience: Lovely people great prices kids love it definitely coming back

Fantastic experience: The water is clean and has no chlorine! So good to swim there. The Everyone Active app let's you book and pay and then tap Turnstile/Gate Access to walk in. Wonderful pool

Fantastic experience: Party fun with northcroft

Positive experience: It's in need of renovation as it is looking a bit tired now

Negative experience: Shocking that they keep removing my carer status from my account to enable me to take my disabled son swimming. They have now said they cannot put it back on at management level and need a regional manager to do this but they don't know when that manager will be in. Shame on your Northcroft

Fantastic experience: Well run clean

Positive experience: The new improved outdoor lido is great.

Negative experience: The review is about the poor state of the bathrooms which are always dirty, and the maintenance of the showers which most of the times are not working

Negative experience: Does anyone else feel they have become too poor since new company taken over, so rude and disrespecting to customer requests setting up courts and do the obvious

Positive experience: Very nice pool should use a leaf blower to stop them getting into the pool

Negative experience: The place is ok but your booking system/app is one of the worst user experience I have ever had. It's so bad it's double charged me and had the cheek to tell me I hadnt yet been charged honestly you need to rethink your booking system.

Fantastic experience: What a lush outdoor pool! 50 metres and heated to a nice 24° Book in advance via their website if app - it's a relatively cheap swim (my local pool run by the same company is more expensive). Parking onsite is easy and free for up to 3 hours. The leisure centre has an indoor pool too. Changing rooms for the outdoor pool are separate from indoor pool changing, or you can use one of the beach hut changing pods poolside. Lockers are £1 (refundable). Staff were really helpful & lifeguards were on the ball. Like that the slow lane is really wide - no awkward bashing into others. This is a new pool and kids outdoor water play, plus slides, and it only reopened last summer. It's immaculately clean and one not to miss!

Fantastic experience: Lovely pool good well maintained facilities.

Fantastic experience: Great sport centre. I am especially thankful to Maddie, the receptionist, for being so helpful, friendly and professional.

Fantastic experience: I’ve found Northcroft Leisure Centre to have friendly, helpful staff. Every query I’ve had to date, they’ve shown brilliant service as well as patience! A great experience overall.

Positive experience: Loved taking my son swimming. Shame you only get an hour slot once youre dressed andready to get in, its time to get out again. Is it the same for the outdoor pool? I used to love summer days spent at the outdoor pool but if you're only allowed to stay for an hour, I'll just head to the beach to have a swim.

Fantastic experience: Great facilities and even better people. Would definitely recommend.

Positive experience: Great - until the app goes down. As a member, I am reliant on the app for access and to book classes/swimming. Today I can’t log into the app or reset the password, which means I can’t get into the leisure centre without having a circular debate on ‘you need to reset your password’, ‘I can’t’, ‘you can’t log in without the app’. Concerningly, this can’t be dealt with at the leisure centre but centrally - guess what, I can’t raise an enquiry without logging into the app which is the root of the whole problem to start. When it all works, it is fine - great that the outdoor pool is included in the membership. But I can’t book it, because I can’t log into the app.

Negative experience: I’m leaving this review for the Northcroft Leisure Centre in Newbury to hopefully escalate this to someone that will do something about this matter or to warn potential parents that use the soft play. On Friday February 16th around 2:15 a child between 4-5 years old presumably with some sort of delay smeared his fecal matter in the children’s soft play area in several locations. It wasn’t completely evident for any of the children or parents for around half an hour until several children reported seeing the child do it. By this point the mother removed her child and they left. At least two children had the fecal matter on their clothing and skin and the smell became overwhelming. Around this time there were at least 15 children and several mothers. A lady left to get the attention of the staff of the leisure centre as I was preparing to leave as I very obviously did not want my son to become contaminated. As I was leaving, a young male lifeguard was sent into the soft play area with a tub of hand sanitising wipes. He then left and brought back another lifeguard. As we were leaving, they had done nothing to address the situation or room full of people. When I arrived home thirty minutes later, I phoned the leisure centre because I wanted to be sure that whomever was in charge of the cleaning effort was aware that the fecal matter was likely spread throughout all of the soft play area, seating and toilets due to the amount of children and the time that all of us were clearly unaware of the situation. I spoke to a very condescending member of staff named James that assured me that the two lifeguards have cleaned everything and expressed his disappointment that the parent of the child didn’t deal it themselves. He took my name and number, but I never received a call back. I phoned again today, Saturday the 17th and spoke to Michelle describing the above and was told that the lifeguards are trained to be cleaners and that they cleaned everything between swimming lessons. I asked what protocol or procedures are in place for such a situation and she became frustrated and ultimately put the phone down on me. I am not upset at the leisure centre because of the situation, I am upset at how they’ve responded. I feel the response was inappropriate and frankly dangerous to the health of the children that use the soft play and to the two young men that ‘cleaned’ the area. Two young men in lifeguard gear - shorts and a short sleeved shirts - are going to completely and thoroughly clean the area, decontaminate each ball, etc with hand sanitising wipes and no gloves? There wasn’t even hand soap in the soft play toilets on the day. I also do not think this type of cleaning should be handled by someone that isn’t specially trained and paid appropriately. I really like bringing my son to this soft play and while I’m not a germophobe or clean freak by any description, I find managements level of apathy regarding this extremely concerning and I will hesitate to return. I do not believe the area was thoroughly and appropriately cleaned and sanitised as it was open again the following morning. As I’m sure you are aware, you can become very sick from fecal matter and I am going to contact the local environmental health on Monday to report this as I believe it’s not been dealt with appropriately and is still a potentially hazardous situation.

Positive experience: Nice centre with friendly staff, facilities slightly run down and building fairly old, meaning the layout can be a bit cramped. But other than that everything works well, and is clean, and staff are nice.

Fantastic experience: Body Attack with Jay is quite simply the best cardio class in Newbury. It's tough, but so much fun. Jay brings a unique combination of expert teaching, an eagle eye on techique and a wicked sense of humour. Sometimes the hardest part of her class is trying not to laugh! Body Attack is without question the best way to start your day.

Positive experience: Overall good experience, occasionally lacking in hygiene but mostly worth the visit! Good facilities available on the premises.

Positive experience: Soft play is great for my 2 year old, however it is becoming a bit grubby and tired. Might need a revamp or a good clean. Price is very fair!

Positive experience: Staff are so lovely and always helpful/approachable. All round lovely atmosphere

Negative experience: Pool and changing rooms are quite dirty.

Negative experience: Not impressed with curŕent swimming lesson pool arrangements for Monday & Tuesdays stage 3 swimmers, the section is overcrowded and the swimmers bash into each other, some have no space but to half swim over the section dividing rope

Negative experience: Reception staff and cleanliness are extremely poor. Such a shame as this could be a good facility

Positive experience: Great kids pool, decent prices no slides etc though

Fantastic experience: Best place in Newbury for Kid's swimming lessons.

Fantastic experience: Great facilities and friendly staff!

Positive experience: Very pleasant staff. Easy to book in...

Negative experience: An unfriendly staff member put me right off

Negative experience: Awful website which is very confusing, conflicted information given on phone about opening hours. Swimming as adult in family session costs almost twice the amount of swimming in lanes. Tried calling 4 times before actually getting through. Bizarre operation which is extremely poorly organised!!!

Fantastic experience: Now has outdoor lido open. Very good centre all round but I generally used it for outdoor lido. Newly refurbished and done very well.

Positive experience: They are big compared to others nearby. Close to the town center and ample parking.

Negative experience: The facilities are good, except sadly there’s not any activities around 5pm on Monday or Friday. Also since the change over to everyone active, the softplay has been tedious to book and priced around £5 for an hour only. I often walk past & it’s dead in there! Thatcham garden Center softplay is cleaner, cheaper & two hours for only £3.80. Everyone Active booking system is also hard work. I have tried to book swimming several times and 3 months later the system is still glitchey & I haven’t been able to book!!!!! The swimming session slot I want, changes from fully booked to available continually. I’ve been told there’s no reservations. Furthermore I don’t see why I need to give an array of personal details to link me to my account, just so I can purchase one drink. My son fell off the slide outside & banged his head so I grabbed a cold jelly pouch drink to act as a cold compress as the toilets were unavailable and it took about 10 minutes to get through the line & link that item to my account details. Why!!!! Surely if we don’t want to pass over our details in front of a lot of people it’s not obligatory, but no, I was told they wouldn’t serve me if I don’t have an account. It would also be nice to have help booking sessions over the phone; twice I came in to book sessions over the counter and the system was down. It’s also annoying having to book an account for my son as it’s confusing and gives me error messages. My friend went through the long-winded registration just to find out the outdoor swimming was fully booked. Before it was a case of just turning up. For something called Everyone Active, you make it very difficult to keep Everyone Active.

Fantastic experience: I'm visiting Newbury at the moment and I absolutely love the lido! Swam there early this morning - cool, fresh and pristine. I live up north and often swim in the beautiful lido at Hathersage but the one at the Northcroft made a lovely change.

Fantastic experience: The new Lido - outdoor pool, slides, splash pads, changing rooms, changing huts and landscaping are really fantastic. I think Newbury is very lucky to have this facility. We went on day 2. Lots of lifeguards, all felt very safe and there was lots of space to set up our picnic mats and towels. It’s a bit pricey, my family is v.small, but it’s a lot of ££’s for a larger family but then I suppose the new stuff needs to be paid for. It would be good if we could also book observers for a token fee like the grandparents who don’t actually want to swim but just want to be there with the family.

Fantastic experience: Lovely place to take my grandson to swim

Positive experience: Great place. Gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pool facilities. Cafe upstairs and vending machines.

Positive experience: The reception staff are very helpful and friendly.

Fantastic experience: Will be better when outside is complete

Negative experience: I decided to go lane swimming on Sunday. Not too busy at 11 am. Though there were issues with the experience. 1. Although Parking is free on Sunday it appears to be chargeable for the rest of the week. Should we not be encouraging people to come to sports centres not discouraging people by charging for parking at them given the current climate. 2 The fact you have to remove your shoes in the corridor before going into the pool area is ok but there is little space and only a small bench to do this on ( not very well planned when everyone has to arrive at the same time for the hour long swim allocated time) 3. The changing area is not very well lit at all and small locker changing spaces with only one hook to hang your towel or cloths while you change. 4. Showers are not very well maintained as only a very few work properly. A single small jet of water hardly constitutes a shower.‍♂️ 5. Receptionist should make it clear that there is a £1 returnable locker system when you arrive. 5. The pool area is supervised though I had to more than once ask that people don’t drag or play around with the lane ropes. Lifeguards should be doing this.

Positive experience: Great other than the pervasuve smell of urine in the swim changing and shower area

Fantastic experience: Didn’t actually use leisure centre, disabled, very hot day to Newbury,sat in my car under your trees to eat my picnic thank you

Negative experience: Turned up yesterday - Paid ~£7 for and adult and child to swim for 45 minutes in a cold pool - only one shower worked which was too hot to put my toddler in. Have to be a member, Have to pre-book, Have to swim in 45 minute blocks, Couldn't pay with Card so multiple families walking away (The same local residents who's tax subsidies are keeping the place afloat)…. What happened to public swimming baths? Up the private health clubs

Negative experience: Unfortunately not particularly impressed. This is now managed by a new company, the session have been cut to 45 min instead of 90, the price though remains the same. The cleaning conditions were appalling both in the dressing rooms where you could smell pee and in the bathrooms where there was toilet paper all over the floor. Barring that, the staff was polite and friendly and the water in both pools was the right temperature.

Negative experience: Turned up to use the soft play and the staff refused to let me in because they couldn't take payment - neither cash nor card, because their WiFi was down. I suggested letting me in and I pay on exit and setting up a mobile hotspot but it was clear they would rather refuse custom than work around the problem. So much for new management.

Positive experience: Lovely clean facilities, the learning pool is nice and warm for babies. Very friendly lifeguard too.

Negative experience: Only 1 member of staff takes time to clean the facility,it's constantly a mess and management hardly ever lift a finger to address not only this issue but many others

Fantastic experience: I was referred here for Aqua Rehab, good parking, everyone was helpful and friendly. Will be trying the facilities next time.

Negative experience: It is disgusting when we got back from swimming there were Maggots in our towns from the changing rooms the have definitely lost a customer

Positive experience: Facilities require some updating. No sauna, steam room, or jacuzzi. Gym and swimming pool are OK. Great play area for kids

Positive experience: A great place to swim. The water is cool enough for a long strenuous swim But not so that its a shock to get in. The showers are actually a bit too hot though

Positive experience: I love the indoor. I don't do enough swimming.. the outdoor pool is the best in the summer time

Positive experience: We visited to use the soft play and it was ok for what we needed. It's nothing amazing but does the job

Positive experience: Clean changing rooms, pool not busy. Parking good.

Positive experience: Hall is so cold at the moment . That's the only down fall. We can't wnjivģ

Negative experience: Pool is good, though when swimmers come in late it would be nice to not have staff roll their eyes

Fantastic experience: The reception staff are always very helpful and friendly. I especially enjoy the pilates class with Paula very good

Fantastic experience: Well maintained place

Negative experience: Came second time and disappointed on everything little pool as usually close but then spoke on phone says open and (welcome to used!).the big pool full totally full no space to turn water temperature was cold worse centre . !

Fantastic experience: Nice facilty and options

Positive experience: ABIT PRICEY BUT HAS ALL FACILITIES

Fantastic experience: Not to crowded areas were clean and tidy

Negative experience: Will never visit there again the male lifeguard was passively aggressive towards my granddaughter who is only two and a half I made a complaint and left the pool totally ruined our nice day out for a swim never again!!

Fantastic experience: At the moment I only use the gym but plan to use the pool to help mobility and weight loss. All the staff in the gym including Karl.. Ben ...are always ready to help and encourage your journey to fitness. The ladies on reception always greet with a smile hello and chat ...Sarah and girls you never fail to make my day ...Thank you

Positive experience: Went on a Sunday morning, the learner pool was nice but very busy.

Positive experience: I visited soft play for the first time today, the equipment is great but needs some TLC, many of the zips and ties that keep the flaps down were broken or ripped, what let the venue down the most was the cleanliness, there was thick dust covering the walls and floors and left over food on the floors and tables, as we were the first in there I can only assume they had been left there from the day before, not really surprising as a member of staff walked in, signed the cleaning schedule and then walked out again

Fantastic experience: Great for a morning swim

Positive experience: Value for money on annual memberships. Instructors are very knowledgeable. Something for everyone.

Fantastic experience: Overall good. What would be a big improvement is individual showers especially in the swimming pool changing area.

Negative experience: cannot get through to them to ask one simple question. email address incorrect, website rubbish

Positive experience: Good council run leisure. Lovely outdoor pool...just not open enough though. Pool, classes, gym. Free parking for gym visit too. Clean showers

Positive experience: It's alright never enough public swimming but it's my regular gym and swim

Fantastic experience: As refreshing as the pool is on a summer's day, is the lifeguards' reluctance to whistle at the smallest of infractions such as splashing, jumping or having fun. Long may it continue! Sure the deep end is a bit dirty at the depths, but at almost three metres from the surface, why would you care?

Positive experience: The showers were hot. Excellent.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely amazing place that my daughter and I recently discovered! Two outdoor pools - a very shallow one for little ones and a big swimming pool for older kids and adults. The big pool has a segregated lane for swimming and plenty of space for fun next to it. Booking on the website is very easy, it gives you a choice between 3 timezones in the day. Each session lasts approximately 2 to 3 hours. Plenty of free parking and adjacent play area. Reception staff are friendly, changing area clean with lockers, showers and changing cubicles. You can bring inflatables to the pools, dip in and out and even sunbathe on grass or paved area. Lots of benches around the pools. Ice cream and refreshments on sale. This has been our second visit and I couldn't praise it more. And after all that fun, opportunity to wind down with a picnic in the play area next to the leisure centre - it has a playground, green fields and benches, so easy to have a picnic. Truly a heaven for the whole family!

Fantastic experience: Went to the outdoor pool, I was worried I was going to freeze but it was actually pretty warm considering it is only 20 degrees today

Fantastic experience: There are many activities. There is a fitness suite(gym) both an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, a sauna and so much more

Negative experience: Pleased swimming pool has reopened, but absolutely freezing. Definitely not being heated - why I have no idea.

Negative experience: Not very accessible at the moment - you have to go round the outside to access the pool and it's not a good route for disabled people

Positive experience: Lane swimming now open (booking required). Gym open. And classes are currently in an outdoor marquee, need to pre-book . Great idea to make space in the lido area for classes

Fantastic experience: Great place. Gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pool facilities. Cafe upstairs and vending machines. It has a great soft play area inside for kids! My children have also have huge bouncy castle parties here for great prices! You pay per head and they do the rest, they provide party food and everything!

Fantastic experience: Took my little girl swimming which is on even with the covid restrictions

Fantastic experience: Fabulous pool, great Pilates class with Paula and BodyBalance™ with Mel.

Negative experience: Been using Northcroft for a little while now and never had any issues however today I have never felt so violated and disrespected! I was attending the Weight Training class in the sports hall with instructor Jay who was so professional and handled the situation amazingly however during our class we had a gentleman lean over and start FILMING us without our permission, he continued to film even after our instructor shut the curtain, he just moved it back and continued, he was very passive aggressive and it made all of us very angry and upset. We then went to reception to complain and management came along and instead of shutting down the badminton and approaching the gentlemen we where made to feel in the wrong and made to leave!! Not to mention the man now has a video of us all he also was allowed to continue with zero consequences. I can’t believe Northcroft can ever allow someone to get away with that sort of behaviour! I will continue to support our instructor and I feel Northcroft should do the same however I will not be continuing my membership if this does not get sorted! Such an invasion of privacy you may as well start filming in the changing rooms I’m in utter shock!

Positive experience: Very clean, nice staff & we felt it was well organized.