The club was originally based at Frenchfield in the River Eamont. Training sessions originally involved great variations of conditions that challenged the skills of any swimmer. Icy water, strong currents and obstacles like weed and the odd eel or two provided the ultimate test of stamina. It was all a far cry from conditions for today’s training sessions, held four nights a week at Penrith Leisure Centre.
Still at the original site of Penrith Swimming Club the old diving-board is at the water’s edge where the original pool use to be. Many local people still have fond memories of ‘gan dooken’ here on warm summer evenings in the 1950s and 60s. In 1971 the Frenchfield site was sold and the club relocated to Penrith Swimming baths and funded the Frenchfield training pool at Penrith Leisure centre which is used by hundreds of people each week including Penrith Swimming Club.
The old diving-board still sits at the water’s edge at the old home for the Penrith Swimming Club.
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