Please check for potential hazards before you swim. With 23 acres of water, there are two courses — a 400m loop and a 100m warm-up lane — which have re-opened for experienced swimmers only. You can find our Community Guidelines in full Looking for a wild spot for some open-water swimming? The No 19 bus from Farnham station stops opposite the ponds. To get in and out, head east of the weir where there are boat ramps, and then bathe with uninterrupted views of chalk beaches and the Chiltern Hills. venture out of the city for a day trip to get your fix of alfresco swimming. Fancy a less wild swim? Today, however, it’s believed to be the cleanest urban river in the world. Bookings can only be made via the ACTiO app. You can just turn up to the picturesque Redricks lake and small beach in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire. Nine incredible wild swimming spots near London Get out of the city and into some of the amazing pools, lakes and ponds near London By Time Out London … A fully heated 50m pool is the highlight of Charlton Lido, which is in tip-top condition thanks to a £2m refurbishment in 2013. Sessions are limited to an hour and must be booked via the website. Time Out is a registered trademark of Time Out Digital Limited. Getty Images. Divers Cove reopens from May 20 2020, and advance booking is essential. Try another? Halcyon days, indeed.Getting there: by car in 1 hour 17 minutes from central London. To take a dip, pay £8 a go in summer, £10 in winter, or buy a swim card for a bulk discount. Brockwell Lido has long been one of the most popular spots in south London, but is now running at a reduced capacity. Whether you’re after an adventurous wild swimming trip or just a quiet place to cool off after a long week of working from home, we’ve gathered a list of the most amazing swimming spots near London, where you can make a getaway without going too far away. Sessions, which allow for 50 minutes of swimming, must be booked in advance via the Fusion Lifestyle app. “When we submerge ourselves in cold water, the body adjusts by releasing the stress hormone cortisol, and the longer you’re submerged, the more your body becomes accustomed to dealing with other stress,” she says. Not only that but, speaking to Mike Wardle, director of the charity that facilitates activities for disadvantaged children in the basin, it turns out wild swimmers can clog up the water and put the important work done by his organisation at risk. Since the Industrial Revolution it has been used and abused without care. Bear in mind, though, that whatever the weather, the tidal pool is best for strong swimmers since the deepest point slopes down to 6 ft 6. by car in 1 hour 47 minutes from central London. Sound enticing? Sessions last for an hour, with lane swimming only and no backstroke allowed. The swim’s wake is ecstatic. Be warned, this place gets packed when it’s hot, and the car park fills up fast. OWS coaching for beginners is also available. Both the indoor and outdoor pools are open for business, and slots must be booked in advance using the Better UK app. Bookings must be made on the LBRUT Sports app in advance, with sessions split between slow, medium and fast lanes, depending on your ability. Bookings are available from 8.30am the day before. The clue is in the name. Government advice is to avoid public transport, so don’t travel by train. Many of them you will have heard of; some might even be familiar from postcards, “The ‘secret’ element is quite important in terms of not getting nobbled by the authorities,” says Threipland. But with a “frog’s eye view”, as the late founding father of the wild swimming movement Roger Deakin put it, things don’t seem quite so bad. It’s a popular spot for locals to go for a dip on hot days, but the size of the place means there’s always a free spot to slip into the cold, clear water. “Just get in the water. We already have this email. It’s best not to try if you’re not a strong, experienced swimmer. Including a wild swimming map for events, places, activities and meeting like minded explorers. While the small numbers who go to Shadwell seem sweetly ignorant of the fact, swimming in the basin is forbidden by local bye-laws. Register with your social account or click here to log in. Reality shifts. Lower yourself into the Cam’s upper reaches and float through a dreamscape of vast meadows, low-hanging willow trees and smooth, arched bridges. Many facilities and businesses in the towns and villages we mention will be closed at the moment. Better dig out those speedos…, RECOMMENDED: The best day trips from London. Organisers are strongly urging that only experienced open-water swimmers attend currently, and attendees must book their one-hour time slot in advance. Between Byron’s Pool and King’s Mill Weir, there’s a roughly 2-mile-long, watery stretch where experienced wild swimmers can get in touch with the elements. Are you sure you want to submit this vote? Get out of the city and into some of the amazing pools, lakes and ponds near London. If you’re more of the adventurous type, then join the traditional New Year’s Day swim in the Cam, where a bunch of intrepid aquanauts get splashy in frosty waters. The waters here are clear and fairly shallow, so paddling in the buoyed off swimming areas is a must for even the most timid swimmers, who can just go ankle-deep. “The mental health benefits of open-water swimming are massive,” says marathon-distance swimmer and Open Swim UK coach Jane McCormick. It’s like one of those horrible dreams where you’re trapped in treacle, unable to move or even scream. Friendly carp the size of small dogs emerge from the depths to beckon you in. Apart from the Parliament Hill Lido, there are three ponds: one for men, elevated on a hillock; one for women, veiled by oak trees in a corner of the heath, and a mixed pond. “Just because something’s not actively encouraged it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s illegal,” says Madoc Threipland, 39, whose recently founded Secret Adventures organises guerrilla swims every full moon at undisclosed locations. “And there’s an element of risk in the swims we do. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. “It is,” writes Peter Ackroyd in Thames: Sacred River, “a miracle of rejuvenation.” More than 125 species of fish have made it their home, and as the salmon and sea trout bravely nose their way upstream, so wild swimmers advance down. Again, strict rules are in place, and capacity has been significantly limited. The recently spruced-up body of water, which opened to swimmers three years ago, is no secret but it is legal and safe. Just outside is Little Marlow, where popular swimming spots include the beautiful turn in the river at the end of Ferry Lane, heading out of nearby Medmenham. This one’s for serious, competent swimmers, and other activities like triathlon training and scuba diving are also on offer. Weirdly, it’s a risk that Londoners seem to be willing to take in ever-increasing numbers. This lake is primarily used by the Denham Waterski Club, although a portion of the water is cordoned off for swimmers. The incoming tide washed us out to the island without complaint but so far the river is refusing to carry us on its shoulders back to the pub as planned. When the sun shines and the temperature rises, you can bet half the city is going to head to London’s lidos for a cool down. When the Thames Tidal Swimmers first set off on their odysseys around Chiswick Eyot eight years ago there were six of them — now there are ten times that. Again, bookings are released at 7pm the day before. Sessions last for an hour, and you must stay at least 5m away from swimmers who are not part of your family unit. “It makes me feel really connected with the environment and the Earth. But when the sun finally makes an appearance, more bold members of the public have also been known to take the plunge. As always, beware of river traffic – there’s plenty of it here. Unsurprisingly, the outside one is chillier, but is kept at a clement 24C, and is the larger of the two, so is always a good choice for a semi-adventurous swim. Bookings are released at 8.30am the day before. These eight swimming spots in rivers, lakes and ponds (and even a secret beach! When you’re done backstroking, saunter along the Thames path and enjoy visions of the vista that inspired Kenneth Grahame (the guy who wrote ‘Wind in the Willows’). Wild Swimming Walks: 28 lake, river and seaside days out by train from London by the Kenwood Ladies Pond Association (Wild Things Publishing, £14.99) is available from all good bookshops and wildthingspublishing.com Rosie Fitzmaurice shows you the best places to hit the open water, The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends, Register with your social account or click here to log in.