At the Pond: Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond

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This is an excellent question and worth asking! Despite the murky appearance of the ponds, all three ponds are safe to swim in. The water has been tested to ensure its safety. Each of the authors mentions the nature of the place, and the connection which swimming in the pond brings with its surroundings. The pond teems with 'abundant wildlife - from dragonflies, moorhens and kingfishers above the water's surface, to swan mussels, roach and carp beneath'. Some of the contributors also touch upon its history, and its rich literary heritage. Rich descriptions pepper each of these essays. It was timeless, though perhaps the period it most evoked (despite the bikinis and the hippy beads) was Edwardian: it was the female equivalent of that fine bathing party scene in EM Forster’s A Room with a View, where the Reverend Mr Beebe and George Emerson and young Freddy cast off their clothes and disport themselves in a village pool in the mild landscape of Surrey. When we look, or leap, into the frondy gymslip-green cold-as-is-good-for-you water of the Ladies’ Pond, we move through the tangles of history. We gulp down Hopkins’s spit and sweat and piss, and we step out of the water shedding Dido Belle’s skin cells, torn in her attempt to conform to her society’s narrow expectations. Throughout these stories (essays may be more apt?) there is a lot of mention of how silky and smooth the water is, and this way really interesting to me. The concept of ‘wild’ swimming is something I find kind of baffling though, the explanations of carp and god knows what else swimming in the pond clears that up. This pond seems to have taken a hold on these writers and the subject matter lends itself to reflection as water calls for similarity and movement. This collection perfectly encapsulates that.

I found out about this book through my interest in its authors and through my fascination with Hampstead Heath. I still can hardly believe the mysticism that surrounds the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond, which made this book a must read for me. Yes, there are cold showers at the ponds. These are not showers like you find in leisure centres though and are very basic outdoor ones. Are there Changing Facilities at Hampstead Ponds? At the Pond is a real delight. Almost every one of these essays is overwhelming positive, and each offers recollections of joy and warmth. The authors are united in the sense of community fostered at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond, and in the deep sense of peace and wellbeing which they have found within its waters. Many of these women are of a certain age and I’m sure they have impeccable left-wing credentials – this is Hampstead, after all, though the area has changed out of all recognition. It’s filled with bankers now, braying estate agents with hangovers and hair gel, and 4x4s driven by trophy wives in leather trousers clogging up the streets on the school run. The old inhabitants – arty, messy, obstreperous – have mostly gone. But you can still find them at the Ladies’ Pond. I glimpse their wrinkled bodies when they strip naked in the changing room and realise, with a jolt, that I’m wrinkled, too. I’ve joined them. I might not have joined their club, being too cowardly to break the ice, in every respect. But I join them in celebrating the camaraderie of the Ladies’ Pond and hope that a new generation is arriving to take their place. 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 Lido and Bathing Ponds

You also have to wear swimwear, so no nude dipping, please. And you aren’t allowed to bring dogs unless they’re assistance dogs. The Pond was established in the late-seventeenth century as a freshwater reservoir, fed by the subterranean River Fleet. It was opened to the public for bathing in 1925, and joins around thirty freshwater ponds dotted across Hampstead Heath, only three of which can be swum in. One of these is solely for men, but there is also a 'mixed Pond' which women are able to visit. During high season, in the warmer months, the council advises users to book online before coming in. Whereas during winter, pre-booking is unnecessary, as the ponds are relatively quiet. It takes a bit of courage to swim in the Ponds, even in the summer when the water is relatively warm (or at least not freezing). Some people are afraid of the cold water, others of the murky depths. When I first met the challenging of swimming there, I was thrilled; but there is still the sense, touched on in several of the essays, that one needs to be a year-round swimmer to fully experience both the magic and the challenge and the healing nature of the Ponds. Three of the essayists are famous writers (Margaret Drabble, Deborah Moggach and Esther Freud), but only Freud has actually broken the mental/physical barrier of swimming in the winter. Her essay is the first in the book: If Hampstead seems too far for you, here’s a post on the best lidos in London! The Hampstead Heath Lido is at the bottom of Parliament Hill as in this photo, keep it in mind when visiting the Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds! FAQ about Hampstead Heath Swimming: Do you have to pay to swim in Hampstead Ponds?

One of my favourite elements of this collection was the way in which it spans every season; indeed, it is split into four sections, which denote each season. Swimming is something which I always love reading about - and doing, although I must admit that I am more of a fair weather woman - and to be able to view the same place in so many different weathers was wonderful. I shivered slightly when a couple of the authors wrote about the lifeguards having to break the surface ice during the winter, and the way in which around 150 hardy women still decide to swim regularly during the season. Make sure you have a towel and warm clothing for afterwards. Sip a hot beverage, and warm up with plenty of layers. And I have noticed that the male ponds on Hampstead Heath are frequented by men in very small swimming shorts.

Season tickets

Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds are an institution in the village of Hampstead and it feels like it’s all about wild outdoor swimming at the moment, so there is no better place to visit for wild swimming in London than the Hampstead ponds! ja siis on keset Londoni linna, Hampstead Heathi pargis selline peidetud aare - tiik, puude vahel, mudase põhjaga (räägitakse. ei ole mul õnnestunud seda põhja katsuda), kalade, veelindude, kiilide ja muu juurdekuuluvaga. päris metsajärv see muidugi ei ole, seal on aed ümber ja väravas tuleb pilet osta ja vetelpääste kontrollib, mitu inimest korraga ujuda saab. dušš jm infrastruktuur on ka, aga üsna tagasihoidlik. ja see kõik on reserveeritud naistele (keelatud on mehed, lapsed, koerad ja transistorraadiod). meeste tiik ja segatiik on samas pargis ka olemas, aga need ei ole üldse samasugused. We aspire to be a leader in diversity, equality and inclusion, and we are committed to supporting a strong, sustainable and cohesive society in the capital and beyond.”

see raamat on esseekogumik inimestelt, kellel daamide tiigis ujumise kogemus olemas. paljud on tõelised veteranid - mäletavad, kuidas see kõik 60ndatel oli ja/või elavad naabermajas ja/või töötavad vabatahtliku vetelpäästjana. nende lood olidki mu jaoks kõige nauditavamad. nooremate kirjutajate esseed rääkisid ehk minu maitse jaoks veidi liiga palju neist endist ja vähe ujumisest. samas, seal räägiti ära need lood, mis ju ka asjasse puutusid ja rääkimist tahtsid... näiteks abordist ja transseksuaalsusest. Faye has written a forthcoming political non-fiction book about the systemic transphobia in British society and says, quite sincerely, that the hardest chapter to write has been on feminism (“without wanting to sound too self-pitying, I’ve been targeted very badly in the name of feminism”). Lees hasn’t written for a newspaper for the past two years. She’s semi-retired from journalism and doesn’t consider herself an activist anymore. In At the Pond, we are given the perspectives of fourteen different writers, all of whom have swum there. Some of these women are regulars; others have been just once or twice. The book combines 'personal reminiscence with reflections on the history of the place over the years and through the changing seasons.' Although there is plenty of space in the ponds to swim even when it’s busy, the grassy sunbathing areas close to the ponds are only small and do get very busy when the sun comes out. For the last 15 years, Jamal Saad, 45, swam nearly every day in the men’s pond – after work, early in the morning, on a whim when cycling by. He knew exactly which faces he would see, and felt relaxed in nature, at ease with himself and a world away from his problems.

Young trans writer Shon Faye was the next to rise to prominence through the Guardian and youth media platforms like VICE and Dazed. In the mid-2010s, when she came out as trans, she felt a cautious optimism about trans rights. Debates about trans rights that typically involved a trans person on one side and someone against those rights on the other were fairly routine, both on TV and in print media. The obvious advantage to this was the obvious visibility: trans people were being seen and heard by British public. There are a total of 18 ponds across Hampstead Heath, however only 3 are dedicated to swimming: Highgate Men's Bathing Pond; Kenwood Ladies' Bathing Pond and Hampstead Mixed Bathing Pond.. Don’t swim too far initially. Focus on getting in the water and acclimatising your body and breathing first. Created centuries ago, the Heath's chain of ponds are one of the sources of the River Fleet that runs subterraneously through London. Swimming in the Ladies' Pond's green, silty, silky waters, it's hard to avoid the feeling that you are moving through history and outside of time. Lifeguards are on hand to ensure everything goes smoothly, but try to look after yourself first! Are the Showers Warm?