Hitchin and Letchworth outdoor swimming pools will officially open for the summer season on Saturday, 25 May. The pools’ opening coincides with the half-term school holiday, which starts Monday, 27 May.

The heated pools are 50m long and are surrounded by grassed sunbathing areas with toddler pools. The pools will be open to the public until Sunday, 8 September.

Hitchin's pool will be open from 8am to 6.30pm Monday-Friday and will close 30 minutes earlier on the weekend.

Letchworth outdoor pool is open from 7am to 6.30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and from 8am to 6.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On weekends the pool is open from 8.30am until 6pm.

Refreshments will be available from poolside cafes, but visitors will also be able to bring their own picnics in.

Both pools have benefitted from North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) investment, with refurbished equipment at both and a renovation for the Hitchin pool's outdoor play area.

At Hitchin, the toilets and showers have been given a fresh look, and visitors to the new play area will be able to enjoy a range of equpipment, relax on new benches and use a two tier cycle rack later in the season.

In Letchworth, the toilets and showers have also been refurbished and the safety surface around the pool has been replaced.

Vaughan Watson, NHDC's Service Director for Place, points to the revamp of the pools as part of continued investment into North Herts' leisure facilities. He said: "We hope that the refurbishments will meet the needs of residents.

"The pools are a great place for people of all ages to come together. We are looking forward to welcoming the first of hopefully thousands of visits over the coming summer season."

For more information on the Letchworth outdoor pool see https://www.sll.co.uk/letchworth/.

For the Hitchin pool and gym see https://www.sll.co.uk/hitchin