Hampstead Mixed Pond welcomes everyone over the age of 8, as long as you are a strong swimmer. Men, women, and kids can all enjoy this pond together, so it’s a great family activity. However, an adult must accompany children between the ages of 8 and 15. To see this most precious oasis through the eyes and words of these writers is a treat – like meeting a stranger and finding you have a wonderful mutual female friend, one who soothes, confides, excites and advises. Yes, there are 3 ponds dedicated to swimming which all have changing facilities, are tested for water quality, and have lifeguards on duty. Hampstead Heath also has a lido which is a swimming pool outside, it’s located at the Parliament Hill section of Hampstead Heath closer to Gospel Oak. Combining personal reminiscence with reflections on the history of the place over the years and through the changing seasons, At the Pond captures fourteen contemporary writers’ impressions of this unique place.

You also have to wear swimwear, so no nude dipping, please. And you aren’t allowed to bring dogs unless they’re assistance dogs. Fourteen women, from various ages and ethnicities, reminisced their time swimming at Kenwood Ladies' Bathing Pond. Their memories are divided into four seasons, starting from winter to autumn. Each woman has their own experience with the Pond, but they all can agree that the Pond is their second home. If a sense of belonging is a book, then At the Pond: Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond fits the description. Every essay describes how each woman feels welcomed; as if they're part of something--that they belong, no matter what time of the year or where you came from. Here, in the Pond, they can forget a bit about their mundane life and just existing. And that's powerful enough to me (note that I'm quite jealous since there's no pond or river to go wild swimming near me). The pong is located near Millfield Lane, where there is on-street parking. Otherwise, get off the Overground Line at Gospel Oak station, and walk 23 minutes to the pond. Or, when on the Northern Line, get off at Highgate and walk 26 minutes. Although the Hampstead Heath swimming ponds are open all year round they do open and close at different times throughout the year. A joy to read perfect for when you need an escape from the stresses of everyday life.' -- CultureflyLots of people have stopped going so their memories of the place aren’t sullied,” says activist Alix Lemkin, who co-convenes the Save Our Ponds campaign run by Forum ‘71, which has held protests against the charges all year. She swam in the ponds every day for 30 years and refuses to under the new regime, in solidarity with friends who have struggled during the pandemic and can’t afford to pay. Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe. In one thrilling story, Nell Frizzell gives an insight into being a lifeguard at the Pond, letting civilians see into the secret sisterhood of life-saving naiads. The strangest thing her colleague had ever found there? “A seven-foot reticulated python about three feet from the upper meadow”. It will stay in my mind for ever, as will Moggach’s throwaway line about the fish that live in the mixed pond nearby: “The water almost boils with giant carp, their lips gaping open like sex dolls.” A grass snake at Hampstead Heath – not quite as big as the one spotted by a lifeguard near the Ladies’ Pond (Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images) Growing up on the edge of the northern suburbs of the city, the Heath marked a geographical watershed: the beginning of the sanctum that was central London. It did not mark the wild fringes – wild in both bohemian and arboreal senses – but instead a passport to pagan poetry and a larger secular cultural life. Here be myths and monsters marking my map of the Heath. We were greeted, sunbathing topless, by our headmistress. Where’s a plague pit to open up beneath you when you need one?

Lifeguards are on hand to ensure everything goes smoothly, but try to look after yourself first! Are the Showers Warm?

Hampstead Heath Swimming

The ponds on the Heath were created to provide drinking water for the growing villages of Hampstead and Highgate. The mineral-rich water became known for its health-giving qualities in the late-18th century, but before that, they were primarily reservoirs, and are still supposed to be maintained at drinking quality, something that any head-above-the-water swimmer in their murky, weedy green will be surprised to hear. The pond has truly been one of the wonders of my life. Slipping into its waters is slipping into bliss