10 outdoor swimming pools in reach of Brixton and Battersea

While the time of year you decide to sell a property in Brixton or Battersea has little effect on its value, we acknowledge that buyers become more active in the summer months as warm days and lighter nights encourage more people to step up their search for a new home.

Eden Harper also understands that selling property can be a stressful experience, which is why we handle every aspect of the process. From advertising your house or flat in the local area and on national property websites to holding accompanied viewings, passing on offers immediately and keeping you up to date at every step of the conveyancing stage, exchange of contracts and completion of the sale.

With temperatures in London set to hit 28C this week, according to BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood, what better way to take the stress out of selling a home than to take a dip in one of ten outdoor pools in the capital? Better still, some of our options offer free entry.

Here, Eden Harper looks at where to find a free outdoor swim. We start with the pools closest to Brixton and Battersea but if you’re moving away from the area we offer choices elsewhere in the city.

Brockwell Lido, Dulwich Road SW24

In a Grade II-listed art deco building at the heart of Brockwell Park – just two minutes from Brixton – this pool also features an award-winning café. Brockwell Lido reopened in 1994, four years after local campaigners started a battle to save this facility after it closed.

Tooting Bec Lido, Tooting Bec Road SW16

At 90m long, this is the largest freshwater open air pool in England and is less than three miles from Brixton and about four miles from Battersea. Flanked by primary-coloured changing cubicles, it is over 100 years old and the base for the South London Swimming Club and the home of cold-water swimming in the UK.

Serpentine Lido, Hyde Park W2

Perhaps the best known open air pool in London. This swimming facility, which is sectioned off from the pond in Hyde Park, is unheated, unchlorinated and you get to share the water with the local wildlife. It’s open to the public from 9.30am.

Oasis Sports Centre, 32 Endell Street WC2H

This little-known outdoor pool is flanked on all sides by residential and office buildings, which is perfect for keeping out any chilling breeze. At 27.5m long, the lido is perfect for a quick dip during your lunch hour if you happen to work nearby. There is also an indoor pool for the not-so-brave.

Kings Cross Pond Club, off York Way N1C

At the northern end of the new development surrounding Kings Cross, the Pond Club is part of an urban renewal programme and is surrounded by plant life and gardens. To ensure water quality, visitor numbers are limited to 163 a day and there are time limits on sessions.

More outdoor pools in London

Charlton Lido, Shooters Hill Road SE18

Charlton Lido reopened in 2013 after a £2m refurbishment. It is 50m long, is heated year-round to 25C and has a separate toddlers’ pool. There’s also plenty of space for sunbathing plus a healthy eating café.

Hampton Open Air Pool, High Street, Hampton, TW2

In 2 acres of woodland on a corner of Bushey Park, this pool is 36m long, has two bumpy slides, a paddling pool and a large grassed area to picnic and soak up the sun. Not only that, it’s heated to 28C and is open all year round. Just beware, the pool is not accessible from Bushey Park and the car park has a limited number of spaces.

Hampstead Heath Swimming Ponds NW3

Covering 790 acres, Hampstead Heath is famous for offering fantastic views over London. But not everyone is in the know about its three swimming ponds - one for men, one for women and a third pond that is mixed.

The women’s and men's ponds are the only life-guarded open-water swimming facilities in the UK that are open to the public every day of the year. Just be prepared to share the unheated water with ducks and swans.

Parliament Hill Fields, Gordon House Road NW5

At the southern tip of Hampstead Heath, this Grade II-listed pool is a fine example of art deco architecture.

The 61m long pool was refurbished in 2005 and features the only stainless steel liner in an outdoor pool in the UK. Although the water isn’t heated, the showers are piping hot.

London Fields Lido, Westside E8

London Fields in Hackney is the only 50m outdoor heated pool in London. The lido is open from 6.30am to 9pm daily throughout the year and benefits from floodlighting.

The value of homes within five miles of an outdoor swimming pool is rising. Eden Harper has previously reported that the value of residential property in Wandsworth jumped 8.6% in the year to March 2016 to take the average value of a home in the borough to £633,121, while homes in Lambeth have risen 11.4% over the same period to hit an average value of £608,415.

To discover how much your home could be worth, contact Eden Harper today.