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Hampstead Ponds
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Hampstead Ponds are three large freshwater swimming ponds — two designated single sex, and one for mixed bathing — fed by the River Fleet in Hampstead Heath, England. They are situated slightly to the north of the Lido open air swimming pool at the southern tip of the park.
They were originally dug in the 17th and 18th centuries as reservoirs. A malarial marsh was drained by the Hampstead Water Company in 1777 to meet London's growing water demand.
In 2004, the Corporation of London, which operates the Heath, tried to close the ponds on the grounds that they were an unsustainable drain on their expenses and posed a health risk to swimmers. The swimmers challenged this and won a victory in the High Court. To defray costs, the Corporation introduced a charge for swimmers of £2 per session, £1 for concessions. There was some opposition to this. Some of the ticket machines were vandalized.
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There are three different ponds for swmming - one for men, one for females and one mixed.
The Ponds are located on the eastern side of the park, off Millfield Lane. The nearest tube stations are Hampstead or Archway (both on the northern line). Unfortunately neither of these stations are very close to the ponds and require a 15 minute walk (through the park from Hampstead, or on the road for Archway)
The Ponds are referred to as Highgate Ponds on google maps http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=highgate+ponds&sll=51.564373,-0.15707&sspn=0.045032,0.160675&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=51.564399,-0.156083&spn=0.011258,0.040169&om=1http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=highgate+ponds&sll=51.564373,-0.15707&sspn=0.045032,0.160675&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=51.564399,-0.156083&spn=0.011258,0.040169&om=1
- London Pools Campaign advocacy website.
- Corporation of London Swimming facilities on Hampstead Heath
- The London Encyclopaedia, Ben Weinreb and Christopher Hibbert, Macmillan.
- Detailed guide to the ponds with photographs, by Andrew Selkirk, editor of Hampstead-based Current Archaeology magazine.
- Map of the River Fleet with links to locations with photographs, including the ponds.