Generally there are no coastguards involved, and I normally stop at a measley 1km, but none the less here’s my contribution to this little family collection of swims. Outdoor swimming in London can actually be pretty fantastic!
London Fields Lido: My local. And lucky me, because not everyone has a heated outdoor Olympic sized pool within walking distance of their house. Renovated and reopened in 2006 it’s a great escape from bustling Hackney.
Brockwell Park Lido: Another recently revamped pool. Slightly swanky changing rooms and a nice little café on the side means it feels a bit more like a spa than the municipal style I’m used to - a real treat.
Parliament Hill Lido & Hampstead Ponds: Both in Hampstead Heath, the lido is stainless steel lined which gives a lovely sparkle to your laps when the sun comes out! For something a bit more in touch with nature, the ponds – particularly the secluded ladies’ one – are just as cold, but with more mud and moorhens.
The Serpentine: The water gets a bit murky after prolonged hot spells, but this is possibly the only place you can swim next to a pedalo without something having gone very wrong.
Park Road Lido, Crouch End: Tucked away behind a dodgy looking plastic leisure centre, the pool itself is actually lovely. Surrounded by big trees and grass banks for lounging on, it didn’t really matter that the cubicles left something to be desired.
Tooting Bec Lido: Far and away my favourite swim of the summer. The pool is gigantic (90x30m) and rain on the day I went there meant I was only sharing it with a few clockwork triathlon swimmers. A bit run down in that nice way that lidos are sometimes, and quite a lot like heaven.
Hampton Open Air Pool: Heated to a toasty 28 degrees on the January afternoon I went there with Mum. On most days that would be like swimming in bathwater, but since it was only about 4 degrees outside we were both smitten! So much so that it's prompted me to finally get my first post up, which is saying something.
I’ve got a couple more pools on my list for when the weather perks up, I’ll be sure to report back!
2 comments:
'with more mud and moorhens' - best line on the blog so far - great stuff Holly!
Holly - sorry not to comment sooner. I agree that there is something very special about London Lidos. Swimming in the Serps and Brixton Lido feels like a stolen pleasure in the busy-ness of central London. Also like the line about clockwork triathletes - lap and lane swimming summed up in a nutshell.
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