Here are some of our favourite places for outdoor bathing in London and beyond...
KenwoodLadies' Pond- Hampstead Heath
A cross between a secret garden and a wild lake, the Ladies' Pond in Hampstead Heathis popular on warm summer days. Located on the East side of Hampstead Heath, this women's only pond is open all year around and large enough for an extended swim and deep enough to allow brave swimmers to dive headfirst into the chilly water.
*You don't have to be a lady to enjoy the outdoor bathing facilities at Hampstead Heath. In fact, there are three ponds (former dammed-off clay pits) including a mixed bathing pond and a men's only lake.
Of Soil and Water: King's Cross Pond Club
The ultimate urban bathing experience and the brainchild of architect Ooze (Eva Pfannes and Sylvain Hartenberg) and artist Marjetica Potr, the Kings Cross bathing pond opened earlier this year and is the UK's first public man made lake. Nestled in between building cranes and newly built high-rises, this small pond holds only 40 people and is half cordoned off for a wetland and submerged water plant section - keeping the water clean.
River Waveney, Bungary, Suffolk
Photo credit: Dominick Tyler
With plenty of opportunity for wild swimming, the River Waveney offers an abundance of river meadows, as well as the prospect of spotting otters and bird life. A favourite of Roger Deakin, a pioneer of the wild swimming movement and author of Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey through Britain (1999), it's one of the best places in the country to enjoy the tranquility of outdoor bathing.
For more information on where to bathe outdoors in the UK visit The Outdoor Swimming Society's website
Photos (excluding image above) and words by Anna Jacobsen
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