With the summer months upon us and temperatures rising, our thoughts often drift towards ways of trying to keep cool in the heat and one great way to do this is to go for a swim. Needless to say, when living in London this can be quite a difficult thing to do, however there are a variety of options available which aren’t too far from the Maida Vale area. So here are some tips to help you find places where you can swim this summer.
One of the closest swimming pools to Morshead Mansions is in the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre. Located a short walk from Finchley Road and Swiss Cottage Jubilee Line tube stations and walkable in around 25 minutes, the centre has a 25m, 8 lane pool with a separate learner pool. Open to non-members, there are a variety of pricing options, you can find out more by clicking here –
https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/camden/swiss-cottage-leisure-centre
Another swimming pool within easy reach is the Harbour Club Notting Hill, which can be found on Alfred Road, just off the Harrow Road close to the end of Sutherland Avenue. Around a 20 minute walk from Morshead this pool is only accessible to members, details can be found on the link below –
https://www.harbourclub.com/clubs/notting-hill
Just beyond Swiss Cottage at the O2 Centre in the Finchley Road is Virgin Active. This fitness centre has a large swimming pool, complete with steam room, sauna and jacuzzi. Virgin Active is also a members only club, however, it’s probably a little more affordable than the Harbour Club. You can find out more here –
https://www.virginactive.co.uk/clubs/swiss-cottage/facilities/swimming
Close to the Bayswater Waitrose is the Porchester Centre, run by Everyone Active. Open 7 days a week, this historic building offers a 30m, 4 lane pool plus a teaching pool for beginners. Westminster residents can usually get discounts at Everyone Active, so if you’d like to find out more, click here –
For those that prefer swimming outdoors, there are several options. The first is the lido on Hampstead Heath, close to Parliament Hill. Accessible from Maida Vale by car or bus, there is paid parking close by and bus routes including the 31 from Shirland Road, changing at Chalk Farm Road to the 24 to Hampstead Heath All the pricing and access details can be found here –
Also on the Heath are 3 ponds where you can swim, one mixed, one male only and one female only. Booking is required for some of the ponds and the water can be a little cold, but definitely refreshing! The ponds can get quite busy, especially on warmer days, so it’s a good idea to choose the times you visit wisely. but the ponds are great places where you can swim. More details can be found here –
https://www.hampsteadheath.net/swimming-ponds
Another outdoor place to swim is the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park. Called ‘London’s most iconic open water swimming location’, the lido is open from 10am to 6pm every day between June and Mid-September. As a bonus, it’s beside a lovely café for post-swim refreshments. Booking details can be found here –
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/hyde-park/serpentine-lido
If you feel like going a little further afield to swim in the sea, one of the closest beaches to London is Brighton. Accessible by hundreds of trains each day from Blackfriars or Victoria, the journey time is usually just over an hour. If you’ve never been to Brighton before, you can find out more about it here –
https://citydays.com/places/brighton-beach
Places where you can swim can be hard to find if you live in London but it’s good to know that there are quite a few options out there, why not give some of them a try?
