Prudhoe waterworld is situated in the small Northumbrian town of Prudhoe (pronounced Pruddah) Prudhoe is 20 minutes drive from Newcastle on the A695. It is known as the gateway to the beautiful Tynedale valley. There is a train station in Prudhoe and it is just a short to Waterworld from the station. In addition there are bus links from local towns and Newcastle.

Prudhoe waterworld is a fairly small affair and consists of a swimming pool, café, gym and soft play area. There is a good sized free car park outside with disabled parking available.

The gym has been recently refurbished and now has over 50 pieces of equipment. However it is still pretty basic in my opinion and there are much better gyms to be found in the area. It is a friendly gym and there are always members of staff on hand to offer help.

However it is for the swimming pool I visit Prudhoe waterworld. The pool is what I would term a fun pool. It does cater for serious swimmers but there are few lanes with specific times allocated for lane swimming. This is a great pool for children! There is a wave machine and slide in addition to a small shallow beach area that is perfect for young children to play in safety. The beach has a water fountain that is really popular with younger children.

There are fun sessions when the wave machine and slide are in operation. These are on Friday evenings and Saturday and Sunday mornings. I suggest you take a look at the timetable on the Prudhoe waterworld website for exact times. I tend to find Sunday morning is the best time to visit as it's not as busy. The slide is a fairly modest affair, but perfect for my 8 year old. Older children may find it a bit tame!

I really rate the changing area at this pool. It is always clean and the cubicles are spacious. It is a mixed gender area situated by the poolside. There are good sized lockers needing a £! deposit that is returned at the end of your swim. The changing area is always warm too, something I consider really important!

The pool offers various activities including women only, lane and sessions for those with a disability. I have always found this pool warm, unlike others I have experienced!

Swimming is free for those over 60 and all children who are having swimming lesions in the area. There are concessions for those on low incomes. A full list of prices is available on the web site.

In addition to the gym and pool there is a soft play area aimed at the under 8's. I have not used this with my children so can't comment. However it is very small and seems to get quite busy. There are small slides and a ball pool available.

There is a reasonable café serving light snacks, drinks and sandwiches. The prices are a bit on the high side in my opinion and the food is not that healthy either. I really wish leisure centres that are supposed to be encouraging us all to become healthier would stop serving chips and cakes! It would be lovely to see some imaginative menu options available!

Overall I think this is an excellent pool for those who want to have fun with their children. It is friendly and well managed. However if you are a serious swimmer then there are much better pools in the area!