Plunging into Pools on the Park

Spring is on its way. The water temperature is rising and will soon be in double figures. While we continue to enjoy the chill of our regular unheated lido we thought we'd give ourselves a little boost and headed to Richmond for a heated outdoor swimming experience. 

Pools on the Park is a local leisure facilty with indoor lanes pool and teaching pool, a fitness suite and 25 metre outdoor heated pool. It sits on the edge of the Old Deer Park, a short walk from Richmond underground and overground station so was an easy one for us to get to on a chilly March morning. 

Booking was easy on the website and the staff were extremely friendly. Changing facilities are shared for the indoor and outdoor pools in winter but in the summer months there are separate entry points, toilets, changing rooms and only the cold poolside showers. 

During our visit, we were the only people in the outdoor pool, which felt like a treat! There are steps across the whole shallow end so I imagine it would be a good place for a family swim with little ones in warmer weather. 

The pool is divided into three wide lanes for fast, medium and slow swimmers. It's quite deep in the deep end - I think probably 2.5 metres - and it is apparently heated to 24 degrees. I'm not sure it was quite that warm when we visited, but it was certainly warmer than we're used to before the spring equinox when water temperatures soar into the low teens! 

We had a jolly old swim, a deliciously warm shower, and headed out to lunch. A well spent morning!