Author: Vicky Joseph

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Hampstead Heath Act, when the Heath was protected from development and commercialisation by an Act of Parliament. Just one year ago we formed a protective circle around the Ladies’ Pond and protested against the enforcement and inflation of charges to swim. After a year of further lockdowns, restricted access to the bathing ponds and more increases in the charges to swim, it is time to reclaim our space at our pond.

On 1 August 2021 the KLPA invites members to a picnic on the upper meadow between 10 am and midday, to make use of the capped free flow period at the pond. The upper meadow is now free to access by women and girls. An open air event, where there is plenty of space will allow us to gather safely at our pond. Please bring a picnic brunch, as we are not yet in a position to arrange a shared feast (we hope that will be possible before too long). 

KLPA merchandise will be for sale including a new design of mug, featuring another of Sue Hellard’s cartoons depicting autumn at the pond.  Mugs are £10 each or £35 for a seasonal set of four.  Please bring correct money if possible, or pay by cheque.

We look forward to seeing many old friends and meeting newer KLPA members.

“Just say no” does not work Open water swimmers are fighting back against attempts to blame them for recent drowning deaths. This article explains that water safety education is a more effective approach than prohibition.  Outdoor Swimming Society founder Kate Rew urges a more realistic approach and adds, “What England and Wales need are inland beaches like those on the coast. We do not want to queue up and pay for a swim, we want to swim as people walk: at 5am, for three minutes, at midnight, for hours, before or after a picnic. Alone, with friends, with our families.“ (Scotland already has an aquatic right to roam).

We have received updated water quality test results for the bathing ponds, from the Heath Superintendent.  These indicate that water quality has improved significantly since the flooding and suspected sewer overflow incidents on 12 July 2021. The Ladies’ Pond re-opens on 20 July 2021 and its test results are shown below:

Test results from the Ladies’ Pond for 2020 are attached here, for comparison.  Last year the Ladies’ Pond was closed due to sewage contamination incidents 17-25 September 2020 and 4-11 October 2020.

An explanation of bathing water standards as defined by the Environment Agency can be seen here.

If you have any continuing questions or concerns about the cleanliness of the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds, please contact:
Anne.Fairweather@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Bob.Warnock@cityoflondon.gov.uk
HH-swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Please copy to klpamailbox@gmail.com.

We have just received notification that Kenwood Ladies’ Pond will re-open on Tuesday 20 July 2021, following improved water quality test results over the weekend.

Swimmers who booked sessions today can still use these at Parliament Hill Lido.

With effect from 20 July 2021 the maximum bather load at the Ladies’ Pond will increase to 100.  The times for capped free flow access and pre-booking have changed a little and the capped free flow session in the morning has been extended: 

07.00 – 11.30 Free flow (last entry 11.00)
 
12.00 – 13.00 pre book
 
13.15 – 14.15 pre book
 
14.30 – 15.30 pre book
 
15.45 – 16.45 pre book
 
17.00 – 20.30 free flow (last entry 20.00) 

Booked sessions should still be accessed via Eventbrite.  If you experience any issues with booking sessions or seeking refunds please email HH-swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

The telephone booking line for those with difficulties using the online booking system is 020 7332 3779.

Girls aged 8-15 may now also return to the Ladies’ Pond, and subject to a swim test, enjoy the waters with a competent adult swimmer. Girls who have successfully completed a swim test will be issued with a wrist band to signify this.

Further details about the above news are contained in the most recent email from the Heath Superintendent here.

Feedback on the booking system should be sent to:

Anne.Fairweather@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Bob.Warnock@cityoflondon.gov.uk
HH-swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Please copy to klpamailbox@gmail.com

We have received a further update from the City of London Corporation. Water quality test results received today remain unsatisfactory, although the levels of E.coli and Enterococci are beginning to reduce. The situation will be reviewed again on Monday 19 July 2021 and the bathing ponds will remain closed in the meantime.

Swimmers who had booked tickets to swim at the ponds up to 18 July 2021 may use these at Parliament Hill Lido. You are asked to attend as close as possible to the time booked, although the time slots offered at the Lido differ somewhat from those at the ponds.  Refunds can also be requested via Eventbrite. Further bookings on Eventbrite for the bathing ponds are suspended for the week commencing 19 July 2021. If you are having any difficulty accessing a swim at the Lido or getting a refund please contact HH-Swimming@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

The City of London Hampstead Heath twitter feed has now been updated.

Recent local press coverage of the flooding and contamination on the Heath can be seen here (CNJ letters) and here (Ham & High).

In the midst of all of the bad news of pond contamination, there is some positive news. The large meadow at the Ladies’ Pond is now open to access, free of charge and no booking needed, for women and girls. The nearest available toilets will be in Millfield Lane. Whilst swimming will not be available, this space is open for sunbathing, snoozing and contemplation. This access has been negotiated by the KLPA with Heath operational managers.

The City of London Corporation has provided an update on the closure of the bathing ponds following the heavy rain on Monday evening. The first set of water quality test results has come back and is unsatisfactory for all three bathing ponds (E.coli and Enterococci indicating the presence of sewage). Further test results are anticipated tomorrow but, as yet, there is no indication of a date when the bathing ponds might re-open safely. The most recent email from the Heath Superintendent is here.

When we have more information, members will be updated, particularly if there is any news of re-opening. The City of London’s Hampstead Heath twitter feed can be seen here. 

On a more positive note, there has been progress in the campaign to prevent King’s College Cambridge banning swimming in the River Cam at Grantchester Meadows. The College has now held discussions with campaigners and representatives of the local authorities concerned, to explore ways to manage the area better whilst maintaining access to swimming. Campaigning has paid off (petition update page here).

The bathing ponds have been closed since Monday afternoon following very heavy rain, which led to incidents of flooding and suspected sewage contamination. The City of London Corporation is currently carrying out water quality tests, which may mean that the ponds will remain closed until at least Thursday. Occasional updates are being posted on the Hampstead Heath twitter feed, and a more detailed explanation is here in an email from the Heath Superintendent.

Coincidently, press coverage concerning sewage contamination caused by water companies, including Thames Water, were published yesterday here and here.

We are also awaiting further updates on arrangements to be put in place at the bathing ponds following the lifting of most Coronavirus restrictions in England from 19 July 2021. This will now be dependent on when the water is clean enough for swimming. The Superintendent’s email (link above) also provides an outline of the proposed operating arrangements from next week subject to the outcome of water quality tests.

This website will be updated when we have more information.

Grantchester Meadows

On 4 July 2021 the KLPA emailed members with details of a campaign in Cambridge to defend access to open water swimming at Grantchester Meadows, pictured above. King’s College Cambridge, which owns the land next to the River Cam, had put up signs forbidding swimming and other activities. This stretch of the river has been used for swimming for centuries and became even more important during the lockdowns of 2020-2021. 

A local campaign which included a petition and generation of national press coverage has seen a partial climb-down by King’s College. The college is reviewing its legal advice and has stated it will not take action against “responsible” swimmers.  Details can be seen in this article (Observer 11 July 2021), which also explores tensions between “town and gown” as well as exclusion and privilege in what is believed to be the UK’s most unequal city. 

Legal Action Against the City of London Corporation

Our own campaigning on fair access to the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds continues to generate press interest, for example here (Camden New Journal 8 July 2021). This report concerns the legal action being taken, supported by Leigh Day Solicitors, which focuses on disability discrimination. Our crowd funding page is still open here.

Meetings with the City of London Corporation

On 5 July 2021, the first meeting of the Heath’s new Sports & Wellbeing Advisory Forum took place. This body replaces the former Sports Advisory Forum as well as other groups like the Swimming Forum, and it is chaired by Anne Fairweather (who also chairs the Heath Management Committee and Consultative Committee). Each bathing pond has one representative. Ruth Hallgarten (KLPA Chair) attended from the Ladies’ Pond. The full recording of the meeting can be seen here. We note with disappointment little practical progress on implementing a support scheme, e.g. through “social prescribing”, to improve access to the bathing ponds, has happened. There is also no tangible evidence so far that the limited efforts will extend beyond Camden residents. There has been a great deal of talk about these proposals but concrete results are yet to be seen at the bathing ponds.

We are awaiting further details from the City of London Corporation about arrangements for access to the bathing ponds from 19 July 2021, when many of the national restrictions related to the Coronavirus pandemic are due to be lifted in England. 

KLPA Committee members continue to attend meetings with the operational managers on Hampstead Heath to address practical day-to-day matters at the bathing ponds, and to raise the concerns which members have brought to our attention.

It is not only on Hampstead Heath that access to open water swimming is being restricted.

Grantchester Meadows in Cambridge, which features in the KLPA book “Wild Swimming Walks” has been used to access swimming in the River Cam for centuries. Famous swimmers here include Lord Byron, Virginia Woolf and Rupert Brooke. 

The land is owned by King’s College Cambridge, which is now seeking to ban swimming and other popular activities here. The reasons given include health and safety as well as public order.

A petition seeking to “Keep access to the river at Grantchester Meadows open to all” has been launched on Change.org here. Already there are over 17,000 signatures. 

Further coverage can be seen here (Guardian, no paywall) and here (Telegraph, paywall). Local press coverage includes details of a spoof letter purporting to be from the college here.

This is a valuable open space for the people of Cambridge, not only those linked to the university. Please show solidarity and support this campaign for inclusive access to open water swimming.

On 1 July two items appeared in the national press concerning the legal action being taken against the City of London Corporation, and the KLPA’s campaign against the new charging regime at the bathing ponds.

Guardian journalist Lucy Campbell has written about the legal challenge supported by the KLPA (here) and the wider issues of exclusion at the bathing ponds since the introduction of the new charging regime (here). 

The KLPA also continues to try to engage with the City about difficulties experienced using the Eventbrite booking system and seeking to increase the use of capped free flow instead for the time being. The ultimate aim is the removal of such restrictions when the easing of social distancing requirements allows, other than the normal maximum bather load. The booking system is an unnecessary cost for Hampstead Heath, which will be passed on to swimmers in due course, and it creates a two-tier system. It is often fully booked within minutes each Monday, but on cloudy days no-shows are frequent. We receive regular feedback from members concerning the distress this causes, despite the existence of a telephone booking line (020 7332 3779) for those who lack internet access. In the morning, on busier days, it has also been a source of friction when women are still lined up outside waiting to enter as the free flow session comes to an end and pre-booked session commences.

If you have not already seen it, our most recent KLPA Newsletter is here, with news of the legal challenge and much more.

Details of our crowd funding appeal for the legal action can be seen here.

It is 150 years since the Hampstead Heath Act of 1871 was passed in order to protect this valuable green space, close to central London, from commercialisation and development.

The KLPA would like to mark and celebrate this 150th anniversary of access to common land, at the Ladies’ Pond, in a myriad of different ways once the easing of Coronavirus restrictions allows us to do so. This is an opportunity to celebrate access to common land and for our swimming community to have some fun after an incredibly difficult year.

Please send us your thoughts and ideas so we can start making tentative plans.  What do you think would be a fitting way to mark this anniversary?  Please email klpamailbox@gmail.com with your ideas.

And please donate to our campaign to raise the costs for a Judicial Review.  We are challenging the City of London over the current charging regime at the bathing ponds, which we believe has a disproportionate impact on swimmers with disabilities and some older swimmers.  We are working with Leigh Day Solicitors to launch a claim based on indirect disability discrimination.  Click HERE to see details of the campaign and how you can donate.