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Wild swimming season is officially in full swing and it looks like London is on its way to becoming an epicentre of alfresco bathing. Beckenham Place Park has already refilled its lost Georgian lake for outdoor dips, and now a duck pond in north London could be set to become the next destination for Londoners to (legally) strip down to their swimmers outside.
A crowdfunding campaign has been started to turn two ponds at the bottom of Broomfield Park in Palmers Green, Enfield, into an outdoor swimming spot, and it’s far from a pipe dream. Between 1900 and 1933 the bottom pond was used as a swimming pool with hundreds regularly gathering to see the Broomfield Park Swimming Club in action.
What’s more, one of the ponds earmarked for renovation is Grade II-listed and makes up the only remaining set of Baroque water gardens left in existence. So, if the project is a success you’ll be able to swim in a national treasure!
For decades, only waterfowl have been able to swim in the pond, but that could all be about to change. Broomfield Pond Swim Society is hoping to raise £121,277 to fix broken pipes and desilt the ponds, so they can be filled up and made swimmable again. They’ve also promised a mini pop-up water park for children with a giant water slide.
The Mayor of London has already pledged £40,000 towards the project, but over £75,000 still needs to be raised in 29 days in order to make it a reality. If you fancy chipping in for a swim, you can support the crowdfunder here.
Images courtesy of Enfield Local Studies and Archive
Ready to get your summer swim on? Find out all out south-east London’s newest wild swimming spot.
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