Activities and sports - The Rough Guide to London - page 436

OPEN AIR SWIMS
If you fancy an alfresco dip, a swim will cost you £5 or less at the places listed below:
Brockwell Lido Brockwell Park, SE24 T 020 7274
3088, W fusion-lifestyle.com; Herne Hill train
station from Victoria or St Pancras. Laidback lido at
the heart of Brixton's Brockwell Park. May & Sept
Mon-Fri 6.30-10am & 4-8pm, Sat & Sun
8am-6pm; June-Aug Mon-Fri 6.30am-8pm, Sat
& Sun 8am-6pm; reduced hours in winter.
Hampstead Ponds Hampstead Heath, NW3 T 020
7485 5757, W cityoflondon.gov.uk; ! Hampstead.
The Heath has three natural ponds: the Women's and
Men's ponds are on the Highgate side (bus #214 from
! Kentish Town), while the Mixed Bathing pond is
nearer Hampstead. Daily 7 or 8am to 9pm or dusk.
Hampton Pool Hampton High St, Hampton T 020
8255 1116, W www.hamptonpool.co.uk; Hampton
train station from Waterloo. Heated outdoor pool on
the western edge of Bushy Park, about a mile's walk from
Hampton Court Palace. Open all year; phone for hours.
London Fields Lido London Fields, E8 T 020 7254
9038, W gll.org; London Fields train station from
Liverpool Street. Refurbished interwar lido with a
164ft heated outdoor pool. Open daily all year round,
but hours vary (Tues eve women only).
Oasis 32 Endell St, WC2 T 020 7831 1804, W gll
.org; ! Covent Garden. The outdoor pool is small,

but the water is a bath-like temperature and it's open
all year. Other facilities include a gym, a health suite
with sauna and sunbed, massage and squash courts.
Mon-Fri 6.30am-10pm, Sat & Sun 9.30am-6pm.
Parliament Hill Lido Gordon House Rd, NW5
T 020 7485 3873; Gospel Oak Overground. Beautiful
200ft by 90ft open-air pool with Art Deco touches and
notoriously chilly water. Daily: May to mid-Sept
7am-6.30pm; mid-Sept to April 7am-noon.
Pools on the Park Old Deer Park, Richmond T 020
8940 0561; ! Richmond. Not in Richmond Park, but
in the Old Deer Park near the Thames, adjacent to a
modern leisure centre. Easter to Sept: Mon
6.30am-7.45pm, Tues-Fri 6.30am-8pm, Sat & Sun
7am-5.45pm.
Serpentine Lido Hyde Park, W2 T 020 7706 3422,
W serpentinelido.com; ! Knightsbridge. Offers
110yd of swimming in Hyde Park's lake, plus a paddling
pool; deck chairs and sun loungers for rent. May Sat &
Sun 10am-6pm; June to mid-Sept daily 10am-6pm.
Tooting Bec Lido Tooting Bec Rd, SW16 T 020
8871 7198; bus #249 from ! Tooting Bec. At 300ft
by 100ft, this is England's (and one of Europe's) largest
freshwater, open-air pools. Late May daily 6am-6pm;
June-Aug daily 6am-8pm; Sept daily 6am-5pm.

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Islington Tennis Centre Market Rd, N7 (2 floodlit
outdoor and 6 indoor courts) T 020 7700 1370,
W aquaterra.org; ! Caledonian Road.
Lincoln Inn's Fields, WC2 (3 courts) T 020 7437 3662;
! Holborn.
Paddington Recreation Ground Randolph Ave, W9
(12 floodlit courts) T 020 7641 3642; ! Maida Vale.
Regent's Park South Lower Circle, NW1 (12 courts, 4
floodlit) T 020 7486 4216, W royalparks.org.uk; ! Baker
Street.

the 1920s, the Porchester's baths are well worth a visit for
the Art Deco tiling alone. Admission is around £25 for a
three-hour session, and entitles you to use the saunas,
steam rooms, plunge pool, jacuzzi and swimming pool.
Men: Mon, Wed & Sat 10am-10pm; Women: Tues, Thurs
& Fri 10am-10pm, Sat 10am-2pm; Mixed Sun 4-10pm.
The Sanctuary 12 Floral St, WC2 T 0845 521 4567,
W sanctuary.com; ! Covent Garden. Women-only spa
in the centre of London: the interior is filled with lush
tropical plants. It's a major investment at over £50 for day/
eve membership, but your money gets you unlimited use of
the pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, plus one sunbed
session. Mon, Wed & Fri 9.30am-10pm, Tues & Thurs
9.30am-6pm, Sat & Sun 9.30am-8pm.

SPAS, GYMS AND LEISURE CENTRES
Below is a selection of the best-equipped and most central
multipurpose leisure centres : almost all have gyms,
fitness classes and pools; for local addresses visit W yell.com.
Ironmonger Row Baths 1 Norman St, EC1 T 020 3642
5521, W spa-london.org; ! Old Street. Newly refurbished,
this place has a steam room, sauna, small plunge pool,
masseurs, a lounge area with a large pool - from £25 for three
hours. Women: Mon 11am-6pm, Thurs 10am-5.30pm, Fri
10am-9pm; Men: Tues 10am-9pm, Thurs 6-9pm; Mixed:
Mon 6-9pm, Wed 10am-9pm, Sat & Sun 9am-6pm .
Porchester Spa Porchester Rd, W2 T 020 7792 3980,
W better.org.uk; ! Bayswater or Queensway. Built in

WHITE WATER SPORTS
Lee Valley White Water Centre Station Rd, Waltham
Cross T 0845 677 0606, W gowhitewater.co.uk;
Waltham Cross train station from Liverpool Street.
Thanks to the 2012 Olympics, London has a whitewater
rafting centre on the edge of the city, where you can shoot
the rapids in a raft, canoe or kayak. Rafting starts at around
£50; canoe/kayak paddling from £25. Wed-Sun
10am-6pm; longer hours in summer.