Ponds Forge International Pool, Sheffield

Facilities: Outside, Pool, Car Parking, Catering, Seating, Other

Outside: Town

Sheffield used to be the city of steel. It supplied steel to every part of the world. It has recently installed super-trams. This meant building a new steel bridge which passes in front of Ponds Forge Pool.

Facilities: Pool

Ponds Forge is Britains best competition swimming pool. So this Open competition is a chance use the pool and break a short course record.

The pool is divided into two 25M pools by a movable boom, each pool has Ten Lanes. There are anti-wave lane lines. There are two score-boards, one at each end. The men have one pool and the women have the other. They swap pools in alternate years.

The diving pit is used as a warm-up/swim-down pool.

The larger electronic scoreboard is at the east end and the starting is done from there.

Facilities: Car Parking

Parking is pay and display. There is a pool car park underneath the pool building. and the nearby open air public car park is used. This is shared with shoppers.

There is also free on-road parking on Sundays.

Facilities: Catering

The cafeteria is at first floor level (compared with the pool) and is partitioned off by glass doors from the seating/spectator area which overlooks the pool. It is cooler than poolside. There is a selection of cooked foods and drinks, rolls, sandwiches, cakes and the usual prepackaged foods.

Facilities: Seating

The seating extends around the pool and is not directly accessible to swimmers unless they find the secret staircase. Otherwise they have to go out to the foyer and up the stairs.

Facilities: Other

There is a built-in swim shop

There may also be a swim shop in the competition foyer.

At major meets there is an ASA stand was in the foyer.

Manned by most attractive ladies.

There is a large meeting room upstairs for meetings.