Swimming at Riverside

Peak times

• Monday to Friday, from opening until 9am, and then from 5pm to close
• Saturday and Sunday, from opening to 12pm

Off peak times

• Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
• Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to close

Peak

• Standard: £7.30
• Discounted (under 21s): £6.70
• Under 5: £2

Off-peak

• Standard: £6.30
• All discounted: £5.70
• Under 5: £2

Spectators: £2

Save money by upgrading to an ourChelmsford Plus or monthly Premium membership.

Peak

• Standard: £6
• Discounted (under 21s): £5.40
• Under 5: free

Off-peak

• Standard: £5
• All discounted: £4.40
• Under 5: free

Spectators: free

Save money by upgrading to a Premium membership.

You can book most swimming sessions in advance, except for lane swimming. You can also turn up on the day and book a ticket at reception, subject to availability.

How to book

To book swimming sessions, you can:

• book online or via our app with an ourChelmsford card
• book by calling 01245 615050

The person making the booking must have an ourChelmsford account. 

You can book onto swimming: 

• ten days in advance if you have a monthly membership
• seven days in advance if you have an ourChelmsford Plus card
• two days in advance if you have an ourChelmsford Lite card

Group bookings

At least one member of your party must have an ourChelmsford account before being able to make bookings online.

You can find more information about group bookings.

Cancellations

• If you can't attend a session that you have booked onto, you must cancel at least two hours before it starts.
• You can cancel online or via the app, or by phone.
• We will charge you the full amount for the session if you do not cancel in time, or if you do not attend. This includes monthly members.

• If you are a multi-site monthly member, you can tap straight through the barrier with your ourChelmsford card, sticker, fob or wristband.
• If you need to pay for swimming, you will need to go to reception. This will activate your ourChelmsford card and allow you through the barriers. We are a cashless centre.
• If you have forgotten your card you will need to collect a barcode from reception or a kiosk to get through the barriers.

Safety ratios

To keep everyone safe, we operate adult to child ratios and maximum capacity at our swimming pools. 

If your child is seven years or under, they can’t use the pool by themselves.

A person 16 years or over can accompany: 

• one child that is under four years 
• two children that are under four years if they are wearing buoyancy aids, such as armbands or a float suit 
• two children that are between four and seven years. 

Swim nappies

Children who usually wear nappies, must wear a swim nappy in the pool. You can buy these from reception for £1.70 each.

Baby changing

The group changing areas have baby changing facilities available.

• There are individual cubicles, as well as a Changing Places area and accessible changing facilities.
• If you want to use a locker, you will need a £1 coin to release the key. You will get the £1 back when you return the key.

Zip down our exciting flume in the pools complex at Riverside Leisure Centre.

Anyone 1.2m tall and over can use the flume during its opening hours.

Our flume has a strobe-lighting effect, so may not be suitable for those with light-sensitive epilepsy. 

Times

Check the timetable above for up-to-date times during school holidays.

• Monday: closed
• Tuesday: closed
• Wednesday: closed
• Thursday: 6.35pm to 7.55pm
• Friday: 5pm to 7pm
• Saturday: 12.15pm to 1.45pm, 2.15pm to 3.15pm
• Sunday: 11.30am to 12.30am, 1pm to 2pm and 2.30pm to 5.10pm

Shoes

The pools complex, including the changing area is a shoe-free zone, this includes the removal of flip flops. You will also need to leave buggies in the buggy park.

Showering before you swim

We encourage all swimmers to shower before entering the pools, to keep the water fresh and clean.

Non swimmers and those with flotation devices

Non-swimmers and swimmers who need flotation devices cannot use the 2m side of our main pool.

Swimming accessories 

• You can by buys Zoggs swimwear, goggles, floats and more at reception.
• You can use fins and paddles at the lifeguard's discretion, but we may ask you to remove them
• Mermaid tails, snorkles and face masks covering the nose are not allowed in the pool

Chelmsford and District Sub-Aqua Club 

The Chelmsford Area Branch of the British SubAqua Club, the largest diving club in the world and the governing body for the sport of scuba diving in the UK.  

The club is very active with more than 70 members and run a diving and diver training programme. 

You can find out more and contact Chelmsford and District Sub-Aqua Club. 

Chelmsford City Swimming Club 

This club offers facilities for learning and improving swimming technique, and competitive swimming for all ages. They also offer life-saving, water polo, swim-fit, accessible swimming and synchronised swimming. 

You can email Chelmsford Swimming Club for information or visit the Chelmsford City Swimming Club website.

We run a women-only swimming session every Monday in half of the pool from 6.15pm to 7.15pm. We list it as Women’s Time in the timetable.

During the session, two double lanes and one single lane are available, on the moveable floor half of the pool, with the depth at 1.2m.

The other side of the pool is still open for anyone to use.

The session runs every Monday, including school holidays, but excluding bank holidays.