At the Pond: Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond

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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. Although Hampstead Heath is a good place to start, there is much more to Hampstead than just the Heath. 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. 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: There was something magical about the unplumbed depths, the moorhens, the waterlilies, the willows, the floating rings and rafts’: Margaret Drabble. Photograph: Alice Zoo/The Observer

This book of essays is something to hold on to and re-read when we cannot be there in person. Pure joy.' -- Financial TimesA joy to read perfect for when you need an escape from the stresses of everyday life.' -- Culturefly Once you’re in the water you’re accepted by nature. You’re in it, and part of it. My children love Parliament Hill Lido, and I’m sure they’re right, but it’s an artificial construct. In the Ladies’ Pond you’re on nodding acquaintance with the wildlife. I remember swimming past a nest and watching a coot bearing a gift in its beak – a leaf or something equally pathetic. Its mate was sitting on her eggs. As he offered it to her, the strained politeness on her face made me laugh out loud. Make sure you have a towel and warm clothing for afterwards. Sip a hot beverage, and warm up with plenty of layers. No, the facilities at all of the ponds are pretty basic. Don’t expect any swanky leisure centre facilities here. The showers are cold, and the changing rooms are standard. But, despite this, they are totally useable and very useful! How Cold Are Hampstead Ponds? 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.

The men’s pond has the same facilities and regulations, but only guys can take the plunge there. Kids are welcome as long as regulations are followed. The men’s pond also has the same opening times as the ladies, but is located slightly further away. How to Get There The pond is closed during the winter, but otherwise, it’s open from 7 am to 8:30 pm daily. How to Get There Traditionally, access to the ponds was free and swimmers could pay voluntary contributions. The CoLC maintains mandatory fees were necessary to sustainably fund upkeep of the ponds.

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Yes, there are 3 ponds dedicated to swimming which all have changing facilities, are tested for water quality, and have lifeguards on duty. I used to know the Heath so well, but on my last visit to the pond I managed to get myself thoroughly lost. There was a joy in this as well as a sadness. All walks on the Heath are beautiful, and in the resplendent summer of 2018 they were more beautiful than ever, and there was no danger of losing oneself for long. I wandered along paths and avenues and past many a vast and fallen oak lying hugely on its side. A survey conducted by the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association in January, before the second cost rise, found the charges had affected affordability for 58% of 600 respondents, more than half of whom swam less often as a result and 25% of whom could no longer afford to swim at all. The pond and the little lake stretch timelessly towards infinity. Out of time, all is well for the ageing mother and the ageless daughter.” 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.

No, it’s because it feels indulgent for there to be a whole volume devoted to a tiny body of water in one of the most self-regarding bits of north London. Who, I thought, would give a damn about it beyond – even within – the M25? The sign indicating the ‘Women Only’ swimming pond (Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images) There was something magical about the unplumbed depths, the moorhens, the dragonflies, the waterlilies, the willows, the floating rings and rafts . . .'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. This book of essays is divided into four seasons, beginning with winter - much like the documentary of the Hampstead Ponds which was released in the summer of 2018 and I saw at the Hampstead Everyman cinema in the winter of 2019. You don’t absolutely need to have an experience of the Hampstead Ponds or ‘wild swimming’ to be interested by this book, but it helps, I think. 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. The Ladies’ bathing ponds on Hampstead Heath are a London institution, whether it’s sunny or snowy, so what better way to immortalise them than with a book?’ – Red 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?