The London Fields Lido

Outdoor swimming is to fitness what al fresco sex is to married life: lovely for a change, but you’d better pick your spot with care.

The Thames is ruled out straight away on the grounds of health and safety (if someone rubs up against your leg in there you’d better not stroke it) and lakes are fairly few and far between in this capital. So, where can you go for an outdoor dip, without risking life, limb or the chance of getting shouted at by a group of fishermen?

Step forward London Fields Lido.

Now, since moving to London last year I have tried to go to Hackney’s finest outdoor pool at least once a week. Note the ‘tried’ in that sentence. I’ll admit it, on a dark and raining November morning the battle between the lie-in and the swimming lanes was all too often won by my bedding. But, with the long warm summer evenings, and fresh sunny mornings, I have been making up for lost time.

The London Fields Lido was built in 1931 and remained open until its closure in 1988, apart from the six years of the Second World War.

Following the closure in 1988 (due, of course, to lack of funding), locals, swimmers and supporters from the London Fields User Group campaigned to keep the bulldozers away from the site, instead arguing for the restoration and rejuvenation of this excellent local resource.

After nearly 20 years of tireless work, the Lido reopened in 2006, spick and span and smelling like new.

It is an excellent pool. At 50 metres long, it is also a big old pool – Olympic size, in fact. So, whether you are in serious training or simply trying to get fit, you can find a lane and a pace to suit. Personally, I like to chug along in the slow lane, with all the tattooed pregnant ladies and grey haired men, but, I’ve been told that things can get pretty speedy over in the fast lane.

And, of course, thanks to its Hackney location, the London Fields Lido is also a fantastic place for people watching. Picture perfect ’40s pin ups in their polka dotted swimsuits glide up and down the pool, past hairy-legged builders and shaved-headed mums. There is also a café, plenty of showers both indoor and out, floats if that’s what floats your boat and brightly coloured lockers along the two sides, giving the place a seaside holiday park feel.

So, when the heat of the city starts to grate, I would recommend a bit of splash and tickle down at the London Fields Lido.

London Fields Lido
London Fields Westside
Hackney
E8 3EU

Tel: 020 7254 9038

Adults (age 16 and over) £4.10
Juniors (age 15 and under) £2.40

Opening hours vary with the season

Image by purpaboo courtesy of Flickr