Cockermouth Leisure Centre - Cockermouth

Cockermouth Leisure Centre, located at Castlegate Dr, Cockermouth CA13 9JR, United Kingdom, is a versatile recreational facility that offers a range of activities and services for all ages and fitness levels. With a phone number of 1900823596 and website of better.org.uk, this centre is easily accessible for those looking to learn more or book a visit.

The Cockermouth Leisure Centre specializes in various activities, including a badminton court, fitness center, gym, gymnastics club, personal training, rock climbing, swimming pool, and swimming school. These features make it an ideal location for individuals and families seeking a well-rounded fitness and recreational experience.

One of the key advantages of this leisure centre is its accessibility. It is equipped with a wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the facilities with ease. With a total of 141 reviews on Google My Business, the centre has an average opinion of 4.1/5, reflecting the positive experiences of its visitors.

Additional points of interest at the Cockermouth Leisure Centre include its badminton court, which is perfect for both casual and competitive play. The fitness center and gym offer state-of-the-art equipment and a variety of classes for those looking to improve their overall health and well-being. The gymnastics club provides a safe and engaging environment for children to develop their skills and confidence. Personal training sessions can be tailored to individual goals and needs, while the rock climbing and swimming pool facilities offer unique and challenging experiences for all ages.

Reviews of Cockermouth Leisure Centre

Cons Jacks

1/5

My day has been such a disappointment. I was really looking forward to finally getting some time to swim at Cockermouth Leisure Centre after dropping off my little one, the only time I have for myself on a Tuesday. As soon as I got in the pool, I noticed there were already about 4 or 5 people in the beginner lane. I started warming up with a doggie paddle, which is why I was swimming slowly, but I was careful not to interfere with anyone else.
After just 3–5 minutes, the lifeguard approached me and instructed me to stay in the shallow area where the water is only leg-deep. I asked her how I was supposed to swim in such shallow water, and she explained it was company policy that beginners aged 16 and above must remain in the shallow area. I was completely put off—I can't swim properly in shallow water! Frustrated, I went for a quick shower and headed to the reception desk to clarify.
The guy at the reception showed me the policy, which is apparently the same as what they follow at Willesden and Golders Green Leisure Centres London. I explained to them that I can swim and wasn’t interfering with anyone else in the lane. Back in my country, I used to swim in the Chico River, which has much deeper waters and stronger currents than any calm pool. The receptionist mentioned that beginner lane swimmers can use the deeper end if they know proper strokes like the front or back crawl. I assured him I know how to swim—I grew up near a river!
Honestly, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was because I was the only person of color there. This town doesn’t have many immigrants, you can count them unlike bigger cities like London or Edinburgh. That said, the receptionist was polite and offered to credit back my payment, which I appreciated.
If you’re thinking of trying this centre, just know that the facilities are outdated, and the showers are communal with no privacy. Overall, I’m very disappointed with how I was treated today.

Nicholas Paull

5/5

Very friendly helpful staff. Nice community vibe. The swimming programme works well for us and the booking system is very easy to use, with timely updates to notify us of any alterations to the timetable.

Estelle Rae

4/5

I’m not a permanent member, I used the gym for 2 weeks whilst on holiday. It had most things I needed. Just one squat rack and a dead lift platform. A good selection of machines and cable machines. There was also a smith machine which I didn’t use and a selection of free weights. I like to work out first thing (gym opens 6am during the week) and didn’t have any issues accessing what I needed, but I don’t know how busy it gets later in the day. The gym is separated into 3 different rooms, cardio machine wise there were treadmills, rowing machines, 2 Wattbikes and 1 stair master type machine. Staff friendly, regular clientele friendly, decent parking. Overall a decent gym that was more than adequate for what I needed to keep things ticking over on holiday.

Moira Grey

2/5

While accessing my Grandaughters confidence and ability to swim ( very confident swimmer and able to access the deep end with the school ) the very unfriendly guy decided that she was not capable, ok I get his concerns, but his attitude and deliverance was very unprofessional and rude he saw she was crying and offered no reassurance resulting in her confidence being shattered and even in the shallow end she was not swimming as she was watching him all the time wondering if she was going to be told off, I was a spectator and she has been in several pools while on holidays with no issues, I totally understand safety issues especially in a pool environment, but deliverance is key to being polite and professional.

Wayne Gaskell

4/5

A good leisure center that offers a wide range of activities. I've primarily joined for the gym and whilst it has some variety, it does lack multiple types of the same equipment meaning your chances of getting on a particular one are reduced. I've just come from Lifestyle Fitness which is half the price yet has 3x more equipment, hence the 4 star

Hamblin Brown

1/5

Tried to find information about activities here in what is now apparently a nationally managed group called 'Better' which would actually more appropriately be called "Worse". The Web Site is unusable and unworkable. You cannot actually speak to anyone at the centre. When telephoning you are put through to a non-local disinterested Customer Service agent who said they would send an email link to book the activities I was interested in. The link arrived but came up with "No activities available" and I was in fact just back the unworkable abysmal web site. I will obviously have to go there in person to see if anyone can help there.

Chris Best

3/5

Had to pay £10 for the hour which is far to much money, then £3.85 I think it was for the hour swim. Cheaper if you become a full member.The equipment in the gym is great, lots of free weights, weight machines, treadmills old and newer, a ski egg which is nice to see, different bikes, I think a couple of them were watt bikes, recumbent bikes, 3 to 4 different areas with different machinery in them. They do have a sports hall with about 3 or 4 badminton courts. The showers are a let down, they smell a bit, some air freshener wouldn't go amiss and its 3 or 4 showers in a row, so if you want some privacy you've got no chance, plus you can't have a proper shower after your swim as you can only rinse yourself off due to them being open and mixed, female and male. Would have rated it higher, but due to the showers and the price for one hour in the gym.

John Angus

5/5

As always very good. Was quiet in the gym today. One niggle is people sitting on the equipment playing with their phones totally oblivious to other people wanting to use said equipment.Still hasn't changed.