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If you’ve set foot anywhere near any relatively clean body of water in London in the last five years, likelihood is you’ve seen brave people plunging in. Cold water swimming is going nowhere, and this month could be the perfect time to dip your toes in.
Brockwell Lido in Herne Hill is offering £2 swims on weekdays for the whole of March, meaning you could take a cheap lunch break lap of the 50-metre pool for less than the price of a coffee.
The deal is valid between 12pm and 2pm, Monday-Friday, and it’s best to book your spot in advance. The usual slots cost £8, so it’s a huge saving, and comes with the added benefit of feeling smug when you come back from your lunch break.
Brockwell Lido was opened in 1937, with its official opening ceremony seeing a local schoolgirl get tossed in the water by the Mayor of Lambeth. It remained a popular venue throughout the second world war and into the eighties, but it was closed by the council in 1990. It hosted art exhibitions and performances as well as a vibrant squatting community until a local campaign to open it as a pool was successful, and it has been welcoming swimmers again since 1994.
Known locally as Brixton Beach, it’s a hotspot in the summer, but water temperatures in March rarely creep above 10 degrees. Luckily, the Grade II listed-Lido is just about to open brand new poolside saunas so you can warm up after your refreshing swim.
You can visit Brockwell Lido to register and book your slot throughout March.
Check out London’s best lidos here.
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