At the Pond: Swimming at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond

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Open all year round you’ll only spot a few brave and dedicated swimmers in the winter months but come spring & summer in London the Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds are filled with people wanting to go swimming at Hampstead Heath, and who can blame them! Kenwood Ladies’ Pond is open all year round, but with shorter opening times over winter. Between the 28th of November and the 5th of February, the facilities are open from 7:30 am to 3 pm. Otherwise, the pond is open from 7 am to 8:30 pm the rest of the year. Kenwood Ladies Pond is a popular destination for women seeking a peaceful and secluded place to swim, sunbathe, and relax. The pond is surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees, creating a tranquil and serene environment that is perfect for unwinding and escaping the hustle and bustle of city life. 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. Yes, you will need to pay for entry as you enter the ponds to swim. Can you Swim in the Hampstead Ponds?

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? 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: The Ladies’ Pond has truly been one of the wonders of my life. Slipping into its waters is slipping into bliss.’ – Deborah Moggach

Kenwood Ladies' Pond

This is covered by So Mayer, who describes her discomfort at being assigned female in a piece of writing that bobs between Gerard Manley Hopkins, Dido Elizabeth Belle, ancient myths and gender essentialism. For her, the Pond has become a torture; for others, it is paradise. A seven-foot snake and giant carp Don’t swim too far initially. Focus on getting in the water and acclimatising your body and breathing first. At the Pond is a real delight. Almost every one of these essays is overwhelming positive, and each offers recollections of joy and warmth. The authors are united in the sense of community fostered at the Hampstead Ladies' Pond, and in the deep sense of peace and wellbeing which they have found within its waters. The water can be extremely cold, even in the autumnal months, so only venture in if you’re a confident swimmer.

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.It turns out that I am not alone in seeking solace from a whirring mind and a churning city in the green waters, with the essays taking on motherhood, creativity, mental health, urban living, language, sex, the distracting power of technology and grief. It is “a place that inspires and lingers in the memory”, a “small miracle” with an atmosphere of “tranquil matrilineal kinship”. There was something magical about the unplumbed depths, the moorhens, the dragonflies, the waterlilies, the willows, the floating rings and rafts . . .'

The pond and the little lake stretch timelessly towards infinity. Out of time, all is well for the ageing mother and the ageless daughter.” All three ponds share the same rules and regulations about etiquette and entry for children and have very similar facilities. However, the additional rule of Kenwood Ladies pond is that this pond is for ladies only – who would’ve guessed it?see raamat on esseekogumik inimestelt, kellel daamide tiigis ujumise kogemus olemas. paljud on tõelised veteranid - mäletavad, kuidas see kõik 60ndatel oli ja/või elavad naabermajas ja/või töötavad vabatahtliku vetelpäästjana. nende lood olidki mu jaoks kõige nauditavamad. nooremate kirjutajate esseed rääkisid ehk minu maitse jaoks veidi liiga palju neist endist ja vähe ujumisest. samas, seal räägiti ära need lood, mis ju ka asjasse puutusid ja rääkimist tahtsid... näiteks abordist ja transseksuaalsusest. 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)