Take a Dip: London’s best swimming spots – from lakes to lidos
Words Daisy Gray
Photography Stephen James
Production Harry Cave
“When you enter the water, something like a metamorphosis happens,” writes Roger Deakin in his seminal book on outdoor swimming. “Leaving behind the land, you go through the looking-glass surface and enter a new world.” Along with the restorative psychological benefits, endurance and strength are just a couple of the physical health perks that outdoor swimming can provide, too. And let’s not underestimate the sheer joy, pleasure and endorphin-boosting happiness one can get from a simple dip.
Good news for city dwellers: you needn’t venture to the coast for cool waters this summer. In fact, London’s swimming scene is making waves, thanks to its plethora of glorious lidos and open-water lakes. The golden age of Britain’s open-air pools began in the 1930s, hence the quintessentially Art Deco appearance that so many of them share. Back then, outdoor pools started popping up as a means of employment and to provide good old-fashioned British leisure, giving many neighbourhoods an important sense of community – as they do today. Meanwhile, the capital’s lakes and ponds will refresh and rejuvenate those who brave the waters, promising Londoners a swimming experience as rewarding as the sea’s. Make a splash around the city as we tour London’s top ten swimming spots.
In 1937, the London County Council leader, Herbert Morrison, pledged to transform the capital into a city of lidos. True to his word, he set about building 13 open-air pools across London – and the most grandiose and costly of all was Parliament Hill’s, which opened in 1938 just before World War II.
Architecturally speaking, little has changed since then, although the low-rise brick building, which was originally designed to trap heat from the sun, has since earned Grade II-listed status. A short walk from Gospel Oak Station (and around the corner from the Hampstead Heath’s ponds, see below) the unheated 60m pool is open 365 days a year – a pure joy in summer and only for the brave in the winter.
The ponds on Hampstead Heath are a more rustic alternative to Parliament Hill’s clean lanes. They were first conceived to provide drinking water to the nearby growing villages of Hampstead and Highgate in the 17th and 18th centuries. The heath, sometimes referred to as “the lungs of the metropolis”, was – and still is – a tranquil green space for city-goers to clean their minds, making it a popular spot for poets, painters and writers alike.
Fed by natural springs, the ponds later became a place to plunge. As well as mixed ponds, there are separate ones for men and women to leisurely swim or splash about in – both with the occasional duck and ample pondweed, which is all part of the charm. The ponds have something of a cult-like following and while the waters are a big hit when the temperatures rise, they remain popular with devotees throughout the cooler months, too.
Wet suits, tow floats and swimming caps at the ready (these, in bright red, orange or pink, are essential): here’s where to head for a real-deal open-water swim. West Reservoir, situated within walking distance of both Clissold and Finsbury Parks, is something of a hidden gem, despite its grand scale. It has either 100 or 400m loops to follow – and sometimes, if you’re lucky, even more. For safety reasons, the reservoir is only recommended for confident swimmers. Perhaps best suited to the more outdoorsy, West Reservoir also offers water sports, such as canoeing, kayaking and sailing, and there’s also rock climbing conveniently close to the waters.
Hackney’s lido in the north corner of London Fields has a tale like so many. Built as a much-needed open-air recreational space, it fell into disrepair and closure after lack of funding. Luckily, thanks to a devoted local community of passionate swimmers, the pool reopened in 2007.
Although increasingly popular in summer, London Fields Lido is a delight all year round, thanks to its heated waters. While there are clear lane divisions for those longing to do lengths – this Olympic-size pool measures 50m – there’s plenty of poolside space for sunbathing. Head for a post-dip coffee or sandwich from one of the many nearby eateries – we recommend E5 Bakehouse under the railway arches or Climpson & Sons on Broadway Market.
The pool at the Serpentine was the UK’s first to be coined a lido. The word itself was borrowed from the Lido of Venice – the slither of land known for its beaches and glamorous hotels – therefore lending each of Britain’s quaint outdoor pools an air of European sophistication.
Follow the path that weaves around Hyde Park and you’ll discover a cordoned-off section of the larger lake. It’s open to the public for swimming from June to September, making it the perfect place to take a dip during heatwaves in Zone 1. Neither heated nor chlorinated, you might just find yourself swimming alongside one of the royal park’s swans or geese – or you may even see people pass you by on a pedalo. Perhaps most notably, Serpentine Lido is home to the oldest swimming club in Britain, with members (who get access year-round) partaking in an infamous race on Christmas Day.
There’s something spectacular about swimming in this otherwise industrial corner of E16, with views of the O2 and Canary Wharf in the distance. London Royal Docks once berthed the steamships that fuelled the capital’s trade in the Victorian era, though today you’re more likely to spot fellow water enthusiasts than boats carrying cargo. They might be connected to the Thames, but the Royal Docks has their own body of water, making it a clean and safe space to dip. Similarly to West Reservoir, London Royal Docks offers loops to its swimmers, measuring up to a behemoth 750m. The waters can climb above 20 degrees Celsius in summer, but it’s particularly cold in winter, when it works even more wonders for the mind and body.
Brockwell Lido, located within Herne Hill’s leafy park, is a favourite of south London locals – particularly in summer, when sunbathing in front of its waters is almost as common practice as taking a dip. Its style-moderne design, almost identical to that of Parliament Hill, dates back to the 1930s. Replacing the natural bathing ponds that once stood here, Brockwell Lido provided hours of merriment through the dark times of war.
Contrary to Peckham Rye’s nearby lido, which was filled in by Lambeth Council in the 1990s, Brockwell had a strong force of campaigners behind it to keep it in full swing. It stands strong today, Grade-II listing and all, with local restaurant 400 Rabbits providing poolside pizza and an ice cream post-swim. What better way to spend the holidays?
Tooting Bec Lido is perhaps best loved for its typically Victorian colourful poolside changing rooms, which make for a quintessentially British summertime backdrop. Either that or for its appearance in Guy Ritchie’s celebrated British gangster film Snatch – it was used to film an underwater scene with Brad Pitt.
Not only is it a brilliant place for lengths and leisurely swims alike, but it has some credentials worth splashing about. It’s one of the oldest swimming pools in Britain, first opening in 1906 as a communal bath when only a handful of homes had bathrooms. More than 100 years later, it remains one of the country’s most sizable open-air swimming spots at 91m long.
Beckenham Place Park, with its Palladian-style manor house and hectares of unspoiled woodland, is Lewisham’s biggest green space. At its heart lies a purpose-built swimming lake, so tranquil and picturesque that it’s easy to momentarily forget you’re in Zone 4. Its natural setting makes it seem as if these lakes have been here for centuries, when in fact Beckenham Place Park’s swimming spot is a newcomer on the scene, having only opened in 2019. Despite only recently constructing the lake, the council emphasises that this cold-water haven is to be treated as a wild-water hole.
On Sunday, there’s also a farmers’ market, which also has an occasional collection of vintage stalls and live music, making it a great day out for all.
Sometimes, as Pools on the Park proves, simple is sublime. This fantastic no-frills lido is large in size and stays open all summer long. The lido was the brainchild of architect Leslie Gooday, whose brief was to replace the former Richmond Baths here, and was crowned complete in 1966. Pools on the Park also has an indoor pool for cooler weather, housed within a beautifully glazed Grade-II listed building.
Perhaps the best thing about this pool is where it is. It’s only a short stroll from Richmond station and yet its Greater London location means it’s not as crowded as it would be in the city. Better still, it sits within the exquisite Richmond Park, which makes a brilliant post-swim picnic spot. The largest of London’s royal parks, it dates back to the 17th century, when it was founded as grassland for deer. The four-legged residents still call Richmond Park home, as do an extraordinary number of other mammals, birds, butterflies, fungi and more.
