Waterpark recommendations Midlands please

[Girlicorne]

Hi,

Could anyone recommend a good waterpark in the Midlands or within 1/1.5 hours drive please?? It looks like Splash Landings at Alton Towers is fully booked as it won't let me click the dates for this weekend, we did Calypso Cove in Barnsley last weekend and we don't like Waterworld at Stoke as the water was freezing and the changing rooms disgusting last time we went!

I have googled but it doesn't bring much other than these ones! Our nearest is Watermeadows but we go there quite often so fancy somewhere new. We like slides, waves etc, DC are 9 and 11 and good swimmers.
Thanks in advance!

Sandcastle Blackpool is awesome. If you drive quickly you can do it in an hour and a half.

Thank you, we love Blackpool and have been to the Sandcastle lots of times, it's our favourite and it crossed my mind but the M6 is dire and it would be my luck to end up with a 3 hour journey there and another one back!!

There is one opening in Coventry city centre soon.

The swimming complex at Center Parcs Sherwood Forest is being revamped and opening in March. The new ‘subtropical swimming paradise’ will have a raft ride, slides, an area for younger children and an area for older children. You can get day-visitor passes.
In the summer, this is good www.wheelgatepark.com/home/wet-and-wild-land/

Never been in the pool, but apparently Tamworth Snow Dome has a pool with flumes, and inflatable obstacle courses in the water.
Might be able to tie it in with climbing or a snowy activity if it's not big enough for a whole day.
Googling the others now.

Ooh Cluedo do you know any more about the one that's opening in Coventry??

Doncaster Dome is good with lots of slides and not too far if you are Mansfield based.

The Coventry is called The Wave. It will open in the spring. It's right in the city centre.

Apparently the flume part of the Wave isn't opening till the summer I saw this week.

At the Snowdome, it really is just one slide really. I haven't seen the inflatables (have swum while ds is skiing) though

Thank you so much everyone, going to try Doncaster Dome as they do swimming and ice skating for a family of 4 for £25, bargain! I have put The Wave on our list for summer it looks like it's going to be great!

There's also one at Scarborough if you want to travel that far:

www.alpamare.co.uk/

Thanks Cluedo and CMOTDibbler. DD2 will be delighted to hear that!

If all else fails Crystal Baths in Stourbridge is small but excellent value, has two slides, a rapids and a bloody powerful wave machine. Not sure if it's being renovated at the mo though.

If you’re in the Midlands you have to try Waterworld Stoke - it’s a load of fun.

Donny Dome is great for the money, and they really looked after us when my youngest had an accident there.

Another recommendation for doncaster dome.
Especially the swim and skate deal.

@Didiusfalco Waterworld is filthy. We went and were worried about what we might catch. You can see the filth on the walls of the pool. The changing rooms were disgusting too.

@CluedoAddict that’s a shame. Must admit I haven’t been for about 5 years and don’t remember thinking it was worse than your average swimming pool.

If you go to Doncaster Dome would you mind reporting back what the toddler splash area is like? Are there any small slides a toddler could go on?

It’s been a few years since I last went and it was with DN who is older so wondering if my 2 year old DS would enjoy it.

I'm stumped, I can't think what the toddler bit at Donny Dome is like - mine are older too and they do the slides while I bugger about in the lazy river bit.

The toddler area at Alpamare is brilliant - all of Alpamare is brilliant - but they're a bit buggered financially so it'll be interesting to see how they pull that back.

It used to be underneath where the rapids slide comes down. But I heard they were redoing it. To the left as you first get to the pool.

I had no idea that Alpamare were in financial difficulties. Looks like they didn't pay the gas bill on time. I expect that an outdoor swimming pool heated to bathwater temperature in Scarborough takes some heating.

But it probably explains why their spa has been 'coming soon' for about 2 years now.

If/when it does come I hope it's good. Sitting in the outdoor pool with a glass of wine is heaven. I like it so much I took DH and the kids for my last birthday so I could go on all the slides.

I've been on my own to go on all the slides, and laze in the outdoor pool with a glass of wine. I have no DCs and DP is allergic to swimming pool water unfortunately.

Shame they're cutting the opening hours as I liked to go in the week when it was quiet.

@BarbaraofSeville Thanks for the Scarborough recommendation, we are going to York at half term and are heading there for one of the days so will have to try the pool! Maybe not the outdoor one in feb though!!
@Passthepigs I will report back Sunday evening!
@Didiusfalco we went to Waterworld a couple of years ago and found it disgustingly filthy especially the changing rooms and the water was freezing! Enjoyed the slides though. I don't think I d go back until I heard it had had a refurb or at least a good deep clean :-)