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Swimming in London just got spennier. This month, City of London Corporation, which has been in charge of the running Hampstead Heath since 1987, bumped up the price of tickets for its lido and three bathing ponds.
Some tickets only went up by 10-20p (the same increase as last year), but the cost of others rose by nearly 30 percent. Adult single tickets are now £5 instead of £4.80; concessions are £3 instead of £2.90 and a 12-month season ticket for just the bathing ponds has gone up from £150.50 to £157. The biggest price hike, however, was for the combined lido and ponds year-long season tickets. They went up from £268 to £348 – an increase of 29.85 percent.
According to Camden New Journal, swimmers are worried that the money made from tickets won’t just be used for maintenance of the pools and that the swimming facilities are being used by the City of London Corporation to ‘bankroll the rest of the Heath’. They claim that, based on recent decisions, the authority is ‘completely out of touch’ with the interests of people who use the park, lido and ponds.
Papas Del Sol, a collective made up of regulars at the lido and men’s pond, told the paper: ‘A 30 percent increase in one year confirms this. We are extremely concerned, and not just a little furious, about this price hike. We now expect CoL to increase the price year on year, such to line their own pockets, turn the Heath into a commercial enterprise, with the net effect of excluding the people who can most benefit from outdoor swimming and contact with nature.’
The corporation’s plans for the future of the Heath include introducing large-scale events and ‘income-generating’ activities such as ticketed festivals and installing a padel court and more saunas.
A City spokesperson told Camden New Journal: ‘Most swimming fees rose in line with inflation. As a registered charity, the Heath reinvests all income into maintaining and improving facilities.
‘Charges fund staffing, lifeguarding, water-quality monitoring, and upkeep to keep the Ponds and Lido safe, clean, and accessible, while the wider Heath remains free to enjoy at no cost to taxpayers. Concessions and free early morning sessions support accessibility.
‘A combined lido and bathing pond season ticket offers multi-site access and 15 per cent savings, providing the best value for regular swimmers.’
New prices for swimming at Hampstead Heath ponds and Parliament Hill Lido
Bathing ponds
- Adult: £5
- Concession: £3
Lido (winter)
- Adult: £5
- Concession: £3
Lido (summer)
- Adult (breakfast): £5
- Adult (morning): £8.80
- Adult (afternoon): £8.80
- Adult (evening): £5
- Concession (breakfast): £3
- Concession(morning): £5.20
- Concession (afternoon): £5.20
- Concession (evening): £3
Season tickets (12 months)
- Lido: £252 (concession £152)
- Bathing ponds: £157 (concession £94)
- Both: £348 (£209)
Check out all of London’s other blissful outdoor swimming spots.
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