Make a splash in London’s lidos, lakes and fountains

By Jo Caird
Santander Cycles20 January 2016

London in the summertime is a glorious place to be. And there’s nothing more glorious when the sun is shining and temperatures are soaring than a dip in an open air pool, a swim in a lake or a splash in a fountain. You’ll find great places to cool off all over the capital, so pack your swimmers and hop on a Santander Cycle – there’s no breezier or easier way of getting about in the hot weather.

Dock your bike at High Holborn for the Oasis Leisure Centre, a roof top open air swimming pool right in the centre of town. Measuring 27.5m, the heated pool is big enough to swim lengths, and there’s a sun deck for those with time to kill and rays to catch.

There’s a heated open air pool out east too, a short walk from the Shoreditch Court Santander Cycles docking station. London Fields Lido is a 50m Olympic-sized pool with a sun terrace and a little café overlooking the park for refueling after your swim. If you’re in the area and just looking for somewhere to get your feet wet, check out the paddling pool next door.

London Fields Lido

New this summer is the Kings Cross Pond Club, a piece of land art that invites visitors to participate by taking a dip in the 40m, chemical-free body of water. It’s part of a wider art programme taking place in the Kings Cross area and is the UK’s first ever man-made fresh water public bathing pond, making this the most cutting edge of the cooling off options on our list. The closest docking station for your Santander Cycle is at Pancras Road, the walk from which will take you through Granary Square, with its row upon row of water fountains to play in. Download the Granary Squirt app and control the jets using your smart phone.

There’s more fresh water swimming on offer at the Serpentine Lido and paddling pool in Hyde Park. Dock your bike at the Serpentine Car Park and take a dip at the home of Britain’s oldest swimming club. There’s a paddling pool here too, in addition to the 30m x 100m swimming area. The Diana Memorial Fountain, where you can sit and cool your weary feet, is also a short walk away.

More fountains for splashing in can be found in the courtyard at Somerset House (dock your Santander Cycle on the Strand, right outside), in Kensington Memorial Park (St Mark’s Road) and outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank (Belvedere Road). Jump right in.

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