Parliament Hill Lido, located in

Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band o ...

, north London, is next to

Gospel Oak railway station Gospel Oak railway station is in the London Borough of Camden in north-west London. It is on the North London line (NLL) and is also the western passenger terminus of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line – known informally as GOBLIN. Passengers us ...

. The

lido Lido may refer to: Geography Africa * Lido, a district in the city of Fez, Morocco Asia * Lido, an area in Chaoyang District, Beijing * Lido, a cinema theater in Siam Square shopping area in Bangkok * Lido City, a resort in West Java owned by MN ...

, also known as Hampstead Heath Lido, is a public unheated open air swimming pool, open for 12 months a year. It first opened in 1938.

Description

This unheated pool is and is owned and operated by the

City of London Corporation The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the municipal governing body of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United King ...

, who also own the whole of Hampstead Heath. The lido is open for the summer season from mid May to mid September. From September to April it is open from 7am to 12 noon for early morning swims only, one of only three unheated winter swimming venues in London, the others being

Brockwell Lido Brockwell Lido is a large lido in Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, London. It opened in July 1937, closed in 1990 and after a local campaign was re-opened in 1994. Two ex council employees Paddy and Casey took on the running of the Lido for the com ...

Herne Hill Herne Hill is a district in South London, approximately four miles from Charing Cross and bordered by Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Tulse Hill. It sits to the north and east of Brockwell Park and straddles the boundary between the boroughs ...

and

Tooting Bec Lido Tooting Bec Lido is an open-air fresh water swimming pool in South London. It is the largest fresh water swimming pool by surface area in the United Kingdom, being 100 yards (91.44 m) long and 33 yards (30.18 m) wide. The Lido is on Tooting B ...

. Another swimming venue, the

Highgate Ponds Hampstead Heath Ponds are a series of some thirty bodies of water on or adjacent to Hampstead Heath, a vast open area of woodland and grassland in north London. The main ponds were originally dug in the 17th and 18th centuries as reservoirs to ...

are a short walk away. There is a users' group for the lido (and the ponds), th
United Swimmers' Association of Hampstead Heath

History

Lido, Parliament Hill Fields (1938) - geograph

The lido was opened on 20 August 1938. The lido was designed by Harry Rowbotham and TL Smithson (

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

Parks Department) and is nearly identical in design to Victoria Park Lido and Brockwell Lido. There was a diving stage, chutes and a café, with areas for sunbathing and spectators. Costing £34,000 to construct, this was the most expensive of the then

's 13 lidos built in the 1920–39 period. In 1976, after the death of a 15-year-old boy, further safety measures were taken, including removing most of the diving facilities and increasing staff. The last diving board was removed in 2003. Refurbishments after the late 1980s included hot showers, cycle racks, a paddling pool and CCTV. In 1986, after the abolition of the

Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...

(who had inherited ownership from the LCC), the lido was transferred to the

London Residuary Body The London Residuary Body was a body set up in 1985 to dispose of the assets of the Greater London Council after the council's abolition in 1986. Similar residuary bodies were set up for the metropolitan counties. After the abolition of the Inn ...

and then in 1989 to the Corporation of London. The lido was

Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

in January 1999. 49,000 visitors were recorded in 2003. In 2005, the custom for free swimming before 9.30am was dropped and a £2 entry fee introduced. Refurbishment in 2005 included a stainless steel pool lining, the first of its kind for an outdoor pool in Britain.

References

External links

* {{official website, https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/hampstead-heath/where-to-go-at-hampstead-heath/parliament-hill-lido
Oliver Merrington's website www.lidos.org.uk

The Outdoor Swimming Society 2008 festive dip
amateur video footage. Lidos Buildings and structures completed in 1938 Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Camden Buildings and structures in Hampstead Heath