Although you might not know it, it’s probably true to say that Londoners love outdoor swimming just as much as the Hungarians, whose cities are renowned for their opportunities for outdoor bathing.
We have the London County Council to thank for these lovely spaces to splash about in, as the capital’s network of Lidos were all established by the authority between the wars – most are also fine examples of the severe geometric forms of architecture that were prevalent at the time.
Although we’ve lost the majority of them (over fifty have disappeared in the last eighty years, some to neglect while others have been swallowed up by housing developments and the like) there are still quite a number of Lidos situated around the capital. If you fancy the idea of mixing some cool pool time with topping up your tan, here’s the long list of places to go:
Brockwell Lido
Built in 1937, the Brockwell Lido was one of two that were built to an identical design, the other being in Victoria Park which, sadly, is long since demolished. It’s open throughout the year, and has recently been the beneficiary of over £3m of funding which has brought it back to its former glory. Opening times in the summer are from 6:30am until 8pm during the week, and 8am to 6pm at weekends.
Charlton Lido
The last of the London County Council’s open-air pools, Charlton Lido was opened on 6 May 1939 by the Mayor of Greenwich, and was re-dedicated by the Leader of Greenwich Council last July after eight years of closure due to its deteriorating condition. Now brought up to spec and managed by Better Leisure, opening times are 6:45am until 5pm in the week and 9 to 5 at the weekend.
Reproduced from www.thegreenwichphantom.co.uk
Finchley Lido
Although it carries the name of its predecessor, Finchley Lido is actually an indoor pool which is situated on a retail park just off the North Circular towards Barnet. When the site was redeveloped in 1992, which added a cinema and chain restaurants, the open air pools were removed. You can still see their remnants in Nando’s restaurant however, which carries the original dedication plaque unveiled by the Duke Of York (soon to become George VI). See their website for opening times (although it is indoors, so you won’t catch much sun!).
London Fields Lido
This Lido was the twin of the Kennington Lido and opened in 1932. It has suffered more than the other open air pools on the list, reopening in 2006 after eighteen years of dereliction. Something has to be said for the stoicism of London Fields residents, who campaigned for nearly ten years to get it reinstated. Opening times at the Lido vary throughout the week – the schedule can be found at the official site here.
Parliament Hill Lido
Found on the southern edge of Hampstead Heath, Parliament Hill Lido opened in 1938 and has seen continuous use since then. The main buildings are Grade II listed and the pool itself is absolutely vast, at two hundred by ninety feet in size. Opening times are 6:30am to 7pm every day.
Serpentine Lido
The most central of the Lidos, this one is right in the middle of Hyde Park. Open from 10am to 6pm, it is home to the UK’s oldest group of swimmers, the Serpentine Swimming Club. During the winter, if BBC London News are a little bit low on local colour you’ll see the brave souls who throw themselves into the waters whatever the weather, or the season!
Tooting Bec Lido
The grand-daddy of London’s open-air pools, Tooting Bec Lido was opened way back in 1906 although it’s current facilities date from thirty years later when the London County Council were well into the swing of developing these sites. Located on the edge of Tooting Bec Common, you can visit between 6am and 8pm seven days a week.
Although not open at present, there is a possible future for one other London Lido, the Ruislip Lido. Of a rather different character than its contemporaries, the Lido at Ruislip was located within the boundaries of the local lake rather than being in a self-contained complex. It’s possible that an enclosed bathing area in Ruislip Park will be re-established during 2014.
Just to note that I’ve omitted those venues that have long-standing open air pools (Hampton’s heated open air pool and the Oasis complex in central London, for example) but which were never officially called ‘Lidos’. If you’re interested in exploring the history of these early twentieth century temples to outdoor leisure in London, there are a couple of lovely articles by Oliver Merrington here and here. Writing this article has given me a bit of an itch to seek out the sites of the closed pools – perhaps a project to start on when I’ve finished my canal walks…
About Pete Stean
