Looking for a lido or in need of an outdoor pool in London? As the weather heats up, these swimming pools and ponds across the capital become popular for cooling off, so we recommend booking in advance where possible. And if the weather's not quite so warm? Plenty of London's outdoor pools are heated. Read on to plan your next al fresco dip.
Brockwell Lido, Herne Hill
Open all year, unheated.
The inspiration for Libby Page's 2019 debut novel The Lido, Brockwell Lido is a bona fide local legend. Located in the corner of Brockwell Park, and surrounded by low line art deco redbrick walls, the unheated 50m pool has a dedicated army of year-round swimmers, though naturally it's more popular in the summer, queues stretching around the block on balmy days.
For fair weather swimmers, summer season tickets are available, running from April-end of September. Those made of sturdier stuff can buy annual passes and keep ploughing up and down all year.
There's also a gym and fitness centre on-site, with the added bonus of an outdoor sauna available during the winter season. The Lido Cafe is open all day, serving hot and cold food and drinks.
Brockwell Lido, Brockwell Park, Dulwich Road, SE24 0PA. Currently operated by Fusion, which went into administration in April 2026 so a new operator is currently being sought — check the Lambeth Council website for latest updates before you visit.
London Fields Lido, Hackney
Open all year, heated.
Head east to London Fields for a 50m long, heated outdoor pool — kept at about 25°c all year round. It's floodlit too, making morning and evening swims all the more appealing, and there's often a spectacular sunrise to be enjoyed from the water.
Though there's been a pool here since 1930, it was left closed for several years until a campaign by locals saw it reopened in 2006, with the changing rooms and lockers around the perimeter of the pool painted in eye-catching primary colours.
There are usually around four lanes dedicated to fitness and lane swimming all day, with the rest of the pool given over to more casual activities, or swimming lessons. Hoxton Beach operates the refreshment kiosk, selling hot and cold drinks, cakes, falafel and salads, and an additional kiosk opens on the Sun Terrace during summer months. That Sun Terrace acts as a sub bathing area, with outdoor yoga sessions also held.
For swimmers with physical accessibility requirements, London Fields Lido is one of the better options in the capital. The whole building, from entrance through to poolside, is ramp accessible, and the pool itself has a hoist and a ramp for getting in and out. There are disabled toilets and changing facilities too.
London Fields Lido, London Fields West Side, Hackney, E8 3EU.
London's largest lido: Tooting Bec Lido, Streatham
Open all year for members, summer only for non-members, unheated.
The main pool at Tooting Bec is a seriously impressive 90m long, and there's also a 19m long paddling pool for younger swimmers, making Tooting Bec Lido the largest outdoor lido in the UK (and one of the oldest — it's been around since 1906, and reopened after extensive renovation in April 2024). Bear in mind that it's not heated.
There's a cafe and a picnic area so you can make a day of it in the balmy summer months, and the pool is fitted with a hoist to help disabled swimmers into the water. The public season runs April-September, and although the lido remains open all year, you'll need to become a member to use it in the winter months. Don't be put off though; the club welcomes members of all ages and abilities, whether you fancy doing casual laps a few times a month, or you're carving up the water every day of the year.
Tooting Bec Lido, Tooting Bec Road, SW16 1RU. Membership via South London Swimming Club.
Parliament Hill Lido, Hampstead Heath
Open all year, unheated.
Located at the south-eastern tip of Hampstead Heath, the unheated, Grade-II listed Parliament Hill Lido was first opened in 1938, and is now open to the public 365 days a year. The 60m long pool draws crowds from all over on summer days, and diving is allowed in certain areas at certain times. Food and drink can be bought at the Lido Cafe, operated by Hoxton Beach.
A smaller pool for under-fives sits to the side of the main pool. With the mansion blocks of Gospel Oak overlooking the pool on one side, and the huge expanse of Hampstead Heath on the other, Parliament Hill Lido really does occupy a stunning spot.
Season tickets are available, including passes which allow you to combine dips at the lido with swims in the Ponds on nearby Hampstead Heath (details on these below).
Parliament Hill Lido, Parliament Hill Fields, Gospel Oak, NW5 1LT.
London's most central lido: Oasis Sports Centre, Tottenham Court Road
Open all year, heated.
Central London's only heated outdoor pool, this one comes with the added bonus of being located on a sun terrace. The pool is just one part of the Oasis Sports Centre, which also houses a gym, indoor pool and exercise studios.
The 25m long outdoor pool is surrounded by a patio area and sunbathing deck, with the added bonus of a sauna nearby. Sure, views of the rooftops of Covent Garden mean you can't quite imagine you're in the south of France, but from the street below, you wouldn't even know the pool was there.
Oasis Sports Centre, 32 Endell Street, WC2H 9AG.
Charlton Lido
Open all year, heated.
Charlton Lido and Lifestyle Club has all the equipment and classes a gym fanatic might need, but we're here to talk about the outdoor pool. 50m long, heated, surrounded by a sun terrace in the summer months, with drinks available to buy from Coffee Corner in June-September. There are always at least a couple of lanes dedicated to fitness swimming, and you'll need to book your swim in advance. Members can take part in classes such as aqua aerobics in the outdoor pool too. A brand new outdoor sauna is set to open in June 2026.
Charlton Lido, Hornfair Park, Shooters Hill Road, SE18 4LX.
Hillingdon Lido (formerly Uxbridge Lido)
Open May-October, heated.
They take their swimming seriously in Hillingdon; the fitness centre boasts both a 50m indoor pool AND a 50m outdoor pool (open 4 April-31 October 2026). The Grade-II listed, heated open-air offering has plenty of paving around the edge for soaking up rays, and fountains at either end, lending a playful vibe. A gym, football pitches, fitness studios and athletic track can also be found on-site, if that's your bag. Us? We're all about the pool.
Hillingdon Sports & Leisure Complex, Gatting Way, Uxbridge, UB8 1ES.
Finchley Lido
Open summer only, unheated.
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After an extensive refurb in 2019, Finchley Lido Leisure Centre's three swimming pools are looking better than ever. The outdoor pool's opening is weather dependent (open from 23 May 2026), when you can indulge in open-air swimming followed by a relaxing afternoon in the garden area or an ice cream from the snack hut.
The indoor offerings (open all year) comprise a 25m pool (with hoist for accessibility) and a leisure pool complete with wave machine and rapids. Unlike many leisure centres, there's plenty of natural light inside, meaning you can *almost* convince yourself you're outside, without having to brave the unpredictable British weather.
Finchley Lido Leisure Centre, Great North Leisure Park, Chaplin Square, Finchley, N12 0GL.
Moonlight outdoor swimming: Hampton Pool
Open all year, heated.
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Hampton Pool is well-known for its moonlight swims, taking place in the summer months. Not a night owl? During the day, two outdoor pools are available — a 36m one for the adults, and a 12.5m one for learners and toddlers. They're heated year-round, with a mechanical chair to help anyone with accessibility issues. There's also a grassy area next to the water for a post-swim sunbathe. You're right on the edge of Bushy Park too.
As well as the moonlight and Christmas Day swims, Hampton Pool offers other special events including picnic concerts in the summer months.
Hampton Pool, Bushy Park, off the High Street, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2ST.
Park Road Lido, Crouch End
Open all year, heated.
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You're spoilt for choice pool-wise at Park Road. In addition to the 50m lido, there's also a 25m indoor pool, a teaching pool, paddling pool and... drumroll please... a diving pit.
If you're willing to brave it, the outdoor pool holds sessions in the winter months. More of a fair-weather bather? You'll enjoy the grassy area on two sides of the pool.
In recent years, the Lido had faced a few maintenance and staffing issues, but Haringey Council has now taken over operation of the facility, and is working with the Park Road Lido User Group to get things back on track.
Park Road Lido, Park Road, Hornsey, N8 8JN
Pools on the Park, Richmond
Open all year, heated.
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With a main and indoor teaching pool, and an outdoor pool in the summer months, Pools on the Park is one of west London's finest (and least-known) swimming facilities. The open-air 33m pool comes with a hoist to help disabled swimmers, and the added bonus of an adjacent garden area to explore.
Pools on the Park, Old Deer Park, Richmond, TW9 2SF
New for 2026: Sea Lanes Canary Wharf
Open year-round, unheated.
Toeing the line between 'lido' and 'wild swimming, Sea Lanes Canary Wharf opens in Eden Dock in June 2026, offering a 50m natural water pool floating in the docks, beneath the skyscrapers. Saunas, changing rooms and toilets are also part of the new complex, which is being dubbed "London's First National Open Water Swimming Centre" and is run by the team behind the magnificent Sea Lanes on Brighton Beach.
Pool hoists, a ramp into the pool, and accessible saunas, changing rooms and toilets are available.
You can get a membership — including Swim, or Swim & Sauna options — with the chance to add on a "Wetsuit Concierge" service, meaning they'll have your swim gear washed, dried and ready for your next swim. You don't have to be a member to have a dip — it's £10 per session on a pay-per-swim basis.
Sea Lanes Canary Wharf, Eden Dock, E14 4HJ. Open from 19 June 2026, after which it'll be open year-round.
Wild swimming spots and ponds in London
Prefer your swimming spots with fewer tiles and more ducks? Read on. All are unheated, obviously.
Hampstead Bathing Ponds, Hampstead Heath
Open all year.
The Ladies', Men's and Mixed Bathing Ponds on Hampstead Heath are the stuff of legend, and due to a quirk in the political management of London, Hampstead Heath's ponds are operated by City of London Council, in collaboration with the Parliament Fields Lido (above).
All three are natural bathing ponds (so yes, ducks, yes, weeds, and yes, on the chilly side), but that does mean that they're open to strong swimmers only, age 8+ — and younger swimmers have to do a swimming test to prove their competency before they're allowed in.
Changing room and shower facilities vary between ponds but are generally limited, and there are no locker facilities available at any of the ponds — your local leisure centre this isn't. But for swimming in nature, this is London's finest offering.
Hampstead Heath Bathing Ponds. Mixed pond is on the south side of the heath, while the Ladies' and Men's Ponds are towards the eastern side.
Serpentine Lido, Hyde Park
Public swimming summer only.
Best-known for its famous Christmas Day swim, the Serpentine Lido is in fact open year-round. At 100m long by 30m wide, it's a whopper — and a beauty too, located in the Serpentine lake and overlooked by the gorgeous pavilion-style cafe and Serpentine Bridge. (Look out for geese though!)
To take part in that festive swim itself, you must be a member of the Serpentine Swimming Club, apparently the oldest club of its kind in Britain. They also hold various other races and events throughout the year.
Serpentine Lido, Hyde Park
If you're more into open water swimming — which comes with its own set of dangers, and should only be attempted by confident swimmers — try West Reservoir Centre in Green Lanes or Beckenham Place Park.
Mapped: London's best lidos and outdoor swimming pools for summer
Find your nearest spot in the capital for a refreshing dip: we've mapped the above pools to help you plan your summer.
Looking for a lido further afield? Take a look at our guide to outdoor pools surrounding London — ideal for a day trip out of the sweltering capital.
