London’s lidos are harder to get into than Glastonbury right now. London Fields without a booking? Forget it. A casual trip to The Ponds sans queueing? No way.
Though new research has confirmed that London’s favourite swim spots are well worth the hard work to get into. Five of the capital’s outdoor pools have been voted among the best in the UK. And the nation’s favourite lies south of the river.
July is routinely the busiest month of the year at lidos and for online searches — go figure with the month’s consistent heatwaves the past few years — and so The AA has analysed data on 164 UK pools to create a list ranking the best in the country.
Read more: Our pick of the best lidos in London
The comprehensive index takes into account metrics on everything from average monthly Google search volumes, average Google review scores, Instagram tags, entry and parking fees, as well as the average maximum temperature and hours of summer sunlight at each location.
And it has crowned Brockwell Lido the best of the best. While Tooting Bec Lido, Hampstead Ponds, London Fields Lido and Hampton Pool have also made the list.
It may not come as a surprise to locals and swimmers devoted to thrashing their way through its 50m span. Opened in July 1937, it was designed by Harry Rowbotham and T.L. Smithson for the London County Council and is Grade II listed due to its Art Deco credentials — though has been restored to ensure it has all the mod-cons needed. Guests also love that it has space for sunbathing and a cafe with healthy snack options.
It was found to have 278,000 combined monthly Google searches for lidos and outdoor pool queries in July alone.
The AA reports that in the past three months, searches for ‘outdoor pool near me’ and ‘lido near me’ have risen 404 per cent, and 174 per cent respectively. The locations with the biggest increase in Google searches in the past year are Beckenham Place Park Swimming Lake, London ( up 90 per cent) and Northleach Swimming Pool, Gloucestershire (89 per cent). Though these didn’t make the top 10.
Here’s the lidos and pools that did came out on top.
1. Brockwell Lido, London (Score: 82.97 / 100)
It’s Instagram’s most-tagged lido.
2. Tooting Bec Lido, London (Score: 76.41 / 100)
The UK’s largest freshwater open-air pool at 91 metres long.
3. Sale Water Park, Manchester (Score: 76.34 / 100)
A sheltered freshwater lagoon which can be booked via Open Swim UK, which is great for families.
4. London Fields Lido, London (Score: 71.13)
London Fields boasts on the warmest lidos in the country (25C), and retains many of its original 1930’s features.
5. Thames Lido, Reading (Score: 70.34)
The beautifully restored Edwardian pump house in Kingston-upon-Thames reopened in 2017 and is now a London favourite.
6. Hampstead Ponds, London (Score: 67.54)
7. Clevedon Marine Lake, Somerset (Score: 67.1)
8. Hampton Pool, London (Score: 65.36)
9. Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, Kent (Score: 65.21)
10. Guildford Lido, Surrey (Score: 64.56)
