The new wild swimming lake at Beckenham Place Park officially opened on Saturday (20 July)... and five days later, it's already closed.
Lewisham Council announced in a statement and on Twitter that Beckenham Place Park is shut to the public, and is "expected to be closed for a number of days. It will re-open as soon as possible."
While it's the entirety of the park that's closed, the reason for the closure pertains to the new swimming lake — visitor numbers have far exceeded expectations, no doubt helped by the current balmy weather, and "as with any open water facility, we need to ensure people can enjoy themselves safely".
News Shopper reports that a child was taken to hospital on Monday morning following an incident at the lake.
We are temporarily closing Beckenham Place Park.
— Lewisham Council (@LewishamCouncil) July 24, 2019
We're pleased that huge numbers of visitors have been enjoying the new facilities. However, we need to ensure people can enjoy themselves around the new lake safely.
Read our statement to find out more: https://t.co/ewpxHJpwCu
Temporary fencing is to be installed around the lake, and a there will be a small, ticketed charge to enter the lake area. Lifeguards will be on duty throughout the lake's opening hours once it's up and running again.
The closure comes a day after three swimmers were feared dead after going missing while swimming in different parts of the Thames.
Find out more on the Lewisham Council website, and sign up to the mailing list to be notified when it reopens. In the mean time, make the most of London's other lidos and swimming lakes, and find other ways to keep cool in a heatwave.
