Abraham Darby Sports & Leisure Centre review
Ranked 2 of 5 in Swimming lessons in Telford
Best for: council-run Madeley pool with movable-floor Swim4Life lessons
Unknown
Ironbridge Road, Madeley, Telford, Shropshire, TF7 5HX · Service area: Telford
Abraham Darby Sports & Leisure Centre in short
Abraham Darby Sports and Leisure Centre is the council-run Madeley pool in this ranking, built around a twenty-five-metre pool with a movable floor that adapts the depth for young swimmers. Its Swim4Life lessons take children aged three and up through seven badge stages with an online home portal for following progress. For a Madeley family wanting staged lessons close to home, it is the natural first call.
Customers rate it well on the one public review source we hold, with a Google headline of 4.3 from three hundred reviews. Lesson prices stand published from the January list, and the centre page gives opening times for every day with phone, email and booking routes.
What counts against Abraham Darby Sports and Leisure Centre is the thin paper behind the teaching: the site promises qualified instructors without naming an awarding body, and no insurance detail is published. Our view is that the pool and the published prices carry it to second place, with the instructor question still open.
Our verdict
Our verdict: Abraham Darby suits you if you want Swim4Life children's lessons at a Madeley pool with a movable floor and a published price list [1] [2] [3]. The seven stages, badges and progress portal give ages three and up a clear path through the programme [2]. What counts against it is the thin public record on instructors and insurance, with no named awarding body on the site [1] [2].
Score summary
Scored on the home trades rubric v2.0. Insufficient evidence takes the neutral value and is not shown as a low mark.
- Composite score
- 55.1 / 100
Qualifications and accreditations C2 · weight 25%
50 out of 100
Industry qualifications can't be sourced from the registers, the website or the platforms checked
First-hand responsiveness C3 · weight 15%
Insufficient evidence
Insufficient evidence
Trading history C4 · weight 10%
Insufficient evidence
Insufficient evidence
Insurance and safeguards C5 · weight 10%
Insufficient evidence
Insufficient evidence
Pricing transparency C6 · weight 5%
85 out of 100
Website and service information C7 · weight 5%
80 out of 100
The centre page sets out the pool and facilities, the address, opening times across the week, phone and email contact and a session booking route [1].
Evidence
| Fact | Value | Source | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Lesson payments taken by Telford & Wrekin Council | Source provider-website |
Industry qualifications
Can't be sourced. We looked at the issuing registers, the business's own website and platforms such as Checkatrade and Which? Trusted Traders and found no scheme membership or registration to record.
Strengths
You get a 25-metre pool with a movable floor and Swim4Life lessons for children aged three and up, taught across seven stages with badges and an online home portal [1] [2].
Lesson prices stand on the record from 1 January 2026, with a 30-minute monthly lesson at £28.10 on the six-month direct debit plan and pay-as-you-go swimming beside it [3] [4].
The centre page lists opening times for every day of the week with phone, email and a session booking route [1].
Limitations
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Reviews from customers who showed us their invoice.
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Questions about Abraham Darby Sports & Leisure Centre
Is Abraham Darby Sports & Leisure Centre any good for swimming lessons?
On the evidence, yes for Madeley families: it takes second place in our Telford swimming lessons table with a movable-floor pool, staged Swim4Life lessons and published prices. Google reviewers give 4.3 from 300 reviews. Book by phone, email or the online route for a class that fits your child's stage.
Are its swimming teachers Swim England registered?
Industry qualifications can't be sourced from the registers, the website or the platforms checked. Swimming teaching has no mandatory state register, so there is nothing further to look up. Ask the centre who takes your child's class and what awarding body sits behind them.
What does Abraham Darby charge for swimming lessons?
Thirty-minute lessons are published at £28.10 a month on the six-month plan or £31.40 on the thirty-day plan, with concessions lower, all from the January price list. Practice swims carry separate pay-as-you-go prices. Ask for your plan's figure confirmed in writing.
Where is Abraham Darby Sports & Leisure Centre?
Lessons run at the centre on Ironbridge Road, Madeley, serving swimmers across Telford from a pool with a movable floor. Contact runs by phone, email or the online booking route with opening times listed for every day. Send your postcode with the enquiry to confirm arrangements.
How is Abraham Darby ranked?
It ranks second of the five providers in our September round, carried by its adaptable pool, staged lesson scheme and published prices. What customers say counts most toward the score. Read the full review alongside the table before you enquire.
Others assessed for this trade
- Nuffield Health Telford62.7 / 100Ranked 1. Best for all-ages lessons with Swim England-qualified instructors.
- Wellington Civic & Leisure Centre55.1 / 100Ranked 3. Best for Wellington pool with Swim4Life lessons and health suite.
- Newport Swimming and Fitness Centre54.5 / 100Ranked 4. Best for borough-run Newport pool with Swim4Life children's lessons.
- Oakengates Leisure Centre53.9 / 100Ranked 5. Best for borough-run pool with a four-lane 25-metre swim school.
Sources
- Abraham Darby Sports and Leisure Centre — pool, hours and contact Retrieved 4 September 2026.
- Swim4Life — swimming lessons for children aged three and up Retrieved 4 September 2026.
- Swim4Life prices — lesson plans from 1 January 2026 Retrieved 4 September 2026.
- Swimming prices — pay-as-you-go sessions from 1 January 2026 Retrieved 4 September 2026.
- Google Maps listing — Abraham Darby Sports and Leisure Centre, Telford Retrieved 4 September 2026.
Is this your business?
Ask us to correct a fact, claim the listing, or send a response for publication alongside the assessment.