I tried Exeter’s St Sidwell’s Point to see if it lived up to the hype

‘State-of-the-art’, ‘award-winning’, ‘world-first’ are just some of the phrases Exeter City Council has used to describe St Sidwell’s Point. As it’s now been open for over a year, I decided to spend an afternoon there to see if it truly lives up to those glowing adjectives.

The last time I set foot in a leisure centre was probably around 2010 and the one near me when I was growing up (not in Exeter) became so run down that it was closed and demolished so it’s fair to say that my expectations were relatively low.

St Sidwell’s Point has so many shouted-about features that it was tough to know what to try so I stuck to the basics and opted for a swim and a trip to the cafe to refuel afterwards. Signing up to the app for a pay-as-you-go swimming membership felt a little convoluted when swimming isn’t bookable online so I paid at the desk anyway. That being said, I can see how it would be convenient for bookable features like group exercise classes and the spa.

An adult swim session was £4.95 which, based on a quick Google search of other leisure centres, appears to be pretty standard. While I was at it, however, I looked briefly at the membership options and £29.80 per month for a basic swimming membership seems to only be worthwhile if you’re a really committed swimmer, likely to go more than six times a month. No matter how good the facilities are, that certainly wouldn’t be me.

It’s important to note that these prices have also risen this year as Exeter City Council explained they had “no choice” but to do so. They say the decision was taken with a “heavy heart” to avoid closures but assured members that the prices “remain very competitive for the excellent service” they provide.

I arrived at the leisure centre at around 3pm on a Thursday afternoon and was very efficiently served by staff at the front desk. Prior to arrival, I had noticed a few grumblings online about students, seemingly from the nearby accommodation complexes, causing long queues and while the facility seemed popular among students, I only had to queue for a minute or two.

I was provided with a wristband, which let me through the barriers and followed the signs down to the ‘Changing Village’, which seemed like a rather dramatic way to describe a changing room.

The one thing that struck me throughout was that, so far, cleanliness seems to have been a priority. With visitors urged to take their shoes off, the changing rooms didn’t have that ‘icky’, germy feeling that you can sometimes get around swimming pools.

I was there just before school-ending time so had no trouble finding a changing stall, shower or locker to use although I did start to understand why they’d called it a ‘changing village’ as I kept getting confused as to where I was with all the turns and corners. That might just be my poor sense of direction.

It was time to get in the pool for a quick swim which was a very enjoyable experience. There were plenty of people using the 25 metre pool but the division between lanes and a large portion for general swim meant I wasn’t constantly looking behind me to check I wasn’t going to kick someone.

One thing that had intrigued me on the St Sidwell’s Point app was information on the water quality. Sounds nerdy, I know, but the worst part about swimming for me has always been the chlorine irritating my skin so I was hopeful that the ‘state of the art’ filtration system and less chlorine might help. Amazingly, it did work and I didn’t even feel like I’d been in a pool once I’d showered and dried off.

For obvious reasons, I couldn’t take any photos in the changing area or swimming pools but you’ll have to take my word that they were kept clean and tidy. I also didn’t notice any puddles of water having collected in the changing stalls which was a relief as there’s nothing more annoying than dropping your sock in a puddle.

After a very refreshing exercise session, it was time for a bite to eat. The café is well-situated near the entrance but also with easy-access to the pool-viewing area so ideal for parents waiting during swimming lessons.

It felt a bit nicer than what you’d expect, with more than just your standard bottles of water and snack bars, in addition to especially friendly staff. I opted for a berry smoothie and a slice of chocolate orange cake which came to £6.83. Both were very tasty, and the cake, whilst alarmingly bright orange, was surprisingly light and really hit the spot.

All in all it was a refreshing experience and very easy to navigate. I can’t speak on the rest of the facilities but it seemed well-used, even when I arrived at what you would expect to be a relatively quiet time of day.

I left feeling refreshed and it was a very easy way to get some much-needed endorphins.

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