University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness
BEST FOR
Ages 1-18
ENTRY
from £2
WHERE
Birmingham
What it’s like
A 50m pool, a climbing wall and over 150 classes at the university sports centre, open to anyone, not just students.
The 50m pool is the thing you'll plan the day around, and they say it's 27 degrees, which is warm enough for a toddler to stay in a while. There's a manual hoist, movable steps and a pool lift if anyone in your group needs them. The climbing wall runs courses, taster sessions and junior programmes, and private or family sessions are available if your kids would rather climb on their own. Beyond that there's the athletics track, tennis courts and 3G pitches, plus over 150 classes including Body Pump and Cycle.
Ages are broad here, and the one rule that catches people out is that under-18s aren't allowed in the gym for insurance reasons. So your fifteen-year-old who wants to lift weights will be swimming, climbing or in a junior session instead. Under-ones come in from age one on the site's range, and the junior programmes and Para Athletics taster day, for ages 5 to 25 with a disability, are the bits aimed squarely at younger visitors.
Pay attention to the parking, because it's the least friendly part of the setup for anyone paying as they go. It's £2 for up to an hour and a half, then it jumps hard: £10 once you're past that up to two and a half hours, and £15 beyond that. If you're not a member and you're swimming and climbing in one trip, that middle band is easy to hit. Pay at reception before you leave.
Classes are booked online in advance, with Pay & Go users able to book 24 hours ahead and members 14 days. Cancel late and it counts as a no-show, and three in a month freezes your booking privileges, which is a harsh little rule. Anyone joining has to take a tour first, up to an hour, offered 9am to 6pm seven days a week, and you can use the facilities straight after. Family climbing sessions and group bookings both exist, so a birthday or a school holiday outing is possible rather than a solo swim. The coffee shop does a full Costa menu with indoor and outdoor seating. Step-free access runs through the whole building, with two lifts between floors, so a buggy is manageable, and there's a Changing Places on the ground and lower ground floors.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 1 to 18; the 50m pool and climbing wall do the heavy lifting
- Booking
- All new members must take a tour first
- Parking
- Multi-storey off Edgbaston Park Road
- Food
- One on-site coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating, full Costa menu of hot and cold food plus specialty drinks
- Pushchairs
- Step-free access around the entire building with two lifts between floors
- Wheelchairs
- Step-free throughout building with two lifts
- Getting there by bus or train
- Dedicated University train station at Westgate entrance, up to six trains an hour
- Parking jumps from £2 to £10 once you pass 1.5 hours, so a swim plus a climb can sting
- Under-18s can't use the gym; juniors swim, climb or join a junior programme
- The pool sits at 27 degrees, warm enough for a long toddler dip
- New members have to do a tour first, up to an hour, 9am to 6pm seven days a week
- Late class cancellations count as no-shows, and three in a month freezes your bookings
Plan your visit
Can anyone use it, or is it students only?
Anyone. The site says it's open to students, staff, the local community and juniors, with discounted rates for over 65s and alumni.
Can my child use the gym?
No. Under-18s aren't permitted in the gym for insurance reasons, so juniors swim, climb or join a junior programme instead.
How much is parking?
£2 for up to 1.5 hours, then £10 for 1.5 to 2.5 hours and £15 for 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Non-members take a ticket and pay at reception before leaving.
Do I need to book?
Classes are booked online in advance, with Pay & Go able to book 24 hours ahead and members 14 days. New members have to take a tour before joining.
What happens if I cancel a class late?
Classes running 9am to 9pm need cancelling four hours before, earlier ones by 9pm the night before. Three no-shows in a month freeze your booking privileges.
How warm is the pool?
27 degrees. There's a manual hoist, movable steps and a pool lift if you need them.
Is there food on site?
A coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating, serving a full Costa menu of hot and cold food and specialty drinks.
Do the lockers cost anything?
You buy a band for £5 or hire one for £5.50, and the band is refunded if you return it the same day. Equipment hire is £1, with your ID card left at reception.
Is it pushchair and wheelchair friendly?
Step-free access runs around the entire building with two lifts between floors. There are 18 blue badge bays, a Changing Places on the ground and lower ground floors, and a pool hoist and lift.
How do we get there without driving?
There's a dedicated University train station at the Westgate entrance with up to six trains an hour, and Sport & Fitness is a ten-minute walk from University Station.
Do you run women's-only sessions?
All facilities and classes are open to all gender identities.
Can we do a family climbing session?
Private and family climbing sessions are listed, and the wall also runs courses, taster sessions and junior programmes. Group bookings are available.
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