Highbury Pool

Serious swimmers beware: this is possibly the worst pool I have ever been to…
First off — prepare to part with your money for little return… 5 pounds just to swim, 50p for your locker (refundable) and 20p for the hairdryer (non-​refundable, little power and runs out after a few minutes). The general facilities were very dirty, mouldy, cramped and old. There were plenty of mums struggling to manœuvre prams.
There are two pools, the lap swimming pool is only 25m (I think) cold, small, dark and dingy with plenty of goobers floating in the water and kids getting in the fast lane with you and messing around. The shallow end is so shallow you will hit your arms on the floor if you try to swim freestyle…
Service was pretty poor, unfriendly and you have to wait for ages to be served, however I guess if you are a member you can utilise their ‘fast track’ entry system card beeper thingmes.
Safe to say I won’t be going back :(

I hope the new upgrade will protect us from idiots walking in, pouring water on the thermostat and then leaving after the heat kicks in…
It’s a place to relax you stupid people… We’re not steaming shellfish.

Perfectly located in Highbury Fields and being so close to Highbury and Islington station, Highbury Pool and Fitness is one of the best gyms to go to in the area if you want to work out, take a class, swim, or relax in the sauna & steam. I like to do all those things so I don’t go anywhere else.
They have a lot of equipment and I especially like that they have the old-​school step-​machine, which not many gyms actually have. Their proper-​sized pool is great when it’s not so busy, just like their classes. I’ve tried a few and Michelle is definitely the best instructor, as she’s really motivating and passionate. The staff are chill and friendly, nothing too pretentious or showy like other gyms. People who come here are the ones who actually sweat.
I would give this place five stars if it weren’t for their changing rooms, which are not very clean and gets messy with the people who swim, so do bring flip-​flops because it does get wet everywhere. Do remember to bring 50p with you for the lockers, and that their sauna & steam is not open to all everyday.

I use this place to swim as it the nearest one to me and ultimately run by Islington Council. Located just behind the old Highbury and Islington Station entrance and next to Highbury Fields, there is a gym room sauna and two pools, one full size and another toddlers paddling pool.
They always have a lane swimming area open and are open at 6.30am. I would strongly advise you get there at a time where are three swimming lanes open as things can get crowded there. A nice touch is that they provide multiple floats free of charge by the pool so you can just train your arms or legs if you so wish.
In terms of swimming the facilities are very basic, a little uninspiring and with a refurbishment long overdue. That said, you do get a lot for your money. A £250 annual membership means all you can eat swimming and sauna with early access to booking courts and walls at the nearby Sobel Centre. There is no sign up fee and you can cancel whenever you wish.
You also have access to the sister sites in Islington. Frankly the experience is a little better in Archway pool but the hours are very restricted. Generally this is a good place for the amount you pay. That along with the convenience factor both in terms of the location and service just earn it the extra star.
So remember your flip flops and speedos and get swimming :)

Livid! Make sure not to visit on Sexist Tuesdays! The nerve of the staff to tell me that I’m not allowed to use any of the facilities on account of my sex — this shit should be as illegal as only providing a women’s bathroom. Also, make sure you schedule your diary around Whites-​Only Wednesdays and Wheelchair-​Free Fridays!

Highbury Pool & Fitness Centre is extremely close to my flat, and thus, it’s where I choose to get my swim on.
I love that I can pay a drop-​in fee for the pool without paying the expensive membership for the whole fitness centre (although, admittedly, it’s a bit pricey even for a drop-​in). My experience with the actual facilities have been a mixed bag — I’ve had the pool totally to myself, and I’ve had the pool be extremely crowded and frustrating to use… and I never go at peak times. The changing rooms could do with a bit more of a frequent cleaning schedule.
I’ve never used the gym or the fitness class studio, but they look nice enough — definitely some recent refurbishments.
All in all, it’s fine for what I need, but I can see why people can get frustrated with this place — it’s not *that* cheap versus a fancier place, and it’s nowhere near the quality of a Fitness First or Virgin Active. I just use it because it’s the closest pool to my flat and it’s decent enough.

Dingy changing rooms, overcrowded pool (often 2 lanes for way too many swimmers during swimming lessons), steam room often doesn’t work, sauna is overcrowded.

I dislike fitness centres and would much rather keep myself in shape with swimming because it exercises the whole body plus it’s a great cardio training. I usually visit this place once a week and to be honest the Highbury Pool isn’t anything special and the décor is pretty basic but still it does the trick plus the location suits me perfectly. Furthermore the water is pleasantly warm and the pool is big enough for everyone. The only downside is that due to the low prices it tends to get quite overcrowded at times. Other than that it is a great local pool to go swimming on a weekend.

I pay gbp39 per month for a membership at this place; you can choose a pay-​as-​you-​go option for gbp7 per time, which is cheaper if you only go once a week. They typically have different deals running each month, which is usually a 12-​months-​for-​price-​of-​11 offer or similar.
If you already know someone at the gym, use the referral program for a 10% discount. If you join, ask for the free STEPS gym program, which essentially gives you 6 1-​hr personal trainer sessions at no cost. They build a workout for you and help monitor.
While not fancy, it does the trick and is well located. Much cheaper than any other option I found in N1/​N5. I can’t swim so can’t comment on the pool. Change rooms are a bit manky. But the gym itself is clean, has new-​ish equipment, and is repainted yearly.
Best to choose non-​busy times; after work is always rammed. Weekday mornings are great. The place does have long-​ish hours and is consistently open on bank holidays.

Not quite Virgin standard, but almost there. Obviously it is not a luxurious, but the equipment is very new and the gym completely refurbished (last year.)
Very well priced for a gym and you don’t have to buy a membership. If, like me, your gym days are sporidic this is ideal. They well obviously try to sell you a membership, but they are no where near as bad as places like fitness first (which is comparable with Highbury Pool Gym) and of course this gym has a pool.
highbury — pool –and-​fitness-​centre

You cannot buy an annual membership for the gym only you have to pay for the classes, pool, sauna etc. So if you only use the gym it’s significantly more expensive than the private budget gyms in the area and also than other nearby Council gyms (eg Hackney).
The changing rooms are usually dirty, wet and full of screaming children so you have tto be careful when you go. Also the toilets are often dirty and smelly.
All in all, I don’t feel like a valued customer even though I pay full price and don’t receive any concession or subsidy. I have cancelled my membership and have joined a private gym. Highbury Pool is just not value for money if you are an adult without children who pays full price and doesn’t like dirty changing rooms and screaming kids.

This is a nice medium-​sized pool with pleasantly warm water and a sauna and gym on site that can be used without membership. The pool does get quite over-​crowded at times, which can be annoying, but I like the pool enough to keep going along when I can. It’s good to have the sauna options on cold days, and since it’s a subsidised fitness centre, use of both sauna and steam room works out as a relatively inexpensive treat.
Maybe they should look into re-​scheduling some of their classes and kids’ sessions to maximise space for us ‘freestyle’ swimmers? It feels like they could do better with the timetabling, but possibly they are just running at capacity.

Cheap and Cheerful gym and pool!

Over-​crowded pool. Aggressive atmosphere and poor lane discipline. Difficult to swim lanes. Not recommended.

I love to swim and I love going to Highbury Pool and Fitness Centre. When you are walking to the centre there are so many trees and overgrowth it feels like you are trying to find shelter in a jungle. As you walk along the path you can barely see the building and then the entrance pops almost out of nowhere. The centre offers more than a pool, there is also a fitness centre. This is a full service facility and if you don’t belong to a gym it’s not a bad place to join.
I go the Highbury Pool strictly to swim. They do have adult lap times if you want to avoid screaming kids. They also have water aerobics which is great for people with knee problems. Since I only use the pool a few times a month for swimming I pay the standard £3.70 fee. If I lived a bit closer I would problem go ahead and join, especially since a month membership with pool access is about £42.

Good toddler pool makes this an OK family pool. The toddler pool has a small slide, not that exciting for older kids, but then it’s not aimed at them.
It’s warmer than Archway’s Fun pool but much less fun. If you want a safe swimming environment for small kids it’s fine, but the changing rooms are a bit tatty and cold at times.

There are two swimming pools, one for adults and one for children.
There is also a gym center but you don’t need to enroll to the gym to go swimming.
If you are a regular swimmer it’s better to take the izz card as you’ll pay less than if you don’t come often. The entry costs £3.70.They are doing also family price.
They’ve got lockers at 50p or £1 but it’s refundable.
It’s better to ask for the schedule as during peak hours, there are separating the swimming-​pool into 2 or 3 lanes for the visitors and the rest is for different courses like aqua aerobics, swimming lessons, personal training.
There also welcome disabled people.

For sure the cheapest swimming pool/​sauna you will find in Islington. The pool is nice, relatively big and also relatively warm. Since they have quite a few school classes in for swimming lessons, the changing rooms tend to get quite dirty at times. Try to come in around lunch time, when it’s nice and quiet but avoid early evenings and weekends when the pool is packed with swimmers.
They have saunas, too. Again, nothing special, but relaxing nevertheless.