What better way to enjoy and soak up the summer sun than visiting one of the splash parks and lidos in West London?
Below we have outlined some of the lidos and splash parks in West London, alongside open-air swimming pools nearby.
Header image credit: Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Lidos in West London
Hillingdon Lido
Formerly known as Uxbridge Lido, this 50m outdoor swimming pool is suitable for swimmers of all ages.
The pool is split into 3 or 4 lanes, each marked as fast, medium or slow. This is the perfect place to swim at your pace.
During the summer, the outdoor splash pool is also open and is perfect for those younger children.
Ruislip Lido
Ruislip Lido is a 60-acre lake featuring a sandy beach, a miniature railway, several picnic areas, a children’s playground, a cafe, and a pub.
The lido offers families a selection of activities from walking through the woodlands to travelling on Britain’s longest 12″ gauge miniature railway and of course, splashing in their splash park.
The splash parks offer children the opportunity to splash in the water, build sandcastles, explore the pirate ship on the beach, play on the climbing frames, swings and more.
Find out more about Ruislip Lido here.
Splash Parks in West London
Ravenscourt Park
The paddling pool is located in Ravenscourt Park, a 13-hectare green space, featuring basketball and tennis courts, play areas, picnic tables and two cafes, The Paddenswick Tea Gardens and the Garden Centre cafe.
The paddling pool is suitable for under 8s only and is incredibly popular.
While the 90 minute session is free, booking is still required. You can book here.
Credit: Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Bishops Park
Bishops Park boasts a splash park located between the lake and the skate bowl which features three sets of water jets, a long sandy beach area and plenty of seating areas.
It is open from 10 am to 6 pm every day, and the park also has numerous play areas including toddler and junior playgrounds, tennis and basketball facilities, alongside a skate bowl making it the ideal day out for families.
The splash park is free for all and is open from 10 am to 6 pm every day in the summer season. You do not need to book.
Credit: Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Dukes Meadows
Duke Meadow Park is a go-to place for families all year round.
The park has a splash park featuring water jets, a variety of play equipment and toilets.
With expansive green spaces, a sandpit, an adventure playground, picnic tables and a cafe, Dukes Meadows is the ideal place for families to settle down for the day.
Kensington Memorial Park
The Kensington Memorial Park boasts a spacious water park that is extremely popular in the summer months.
The water play is open 7 days a week over two hour sessions to allow time for cleaning and system checks. Please see full details of the timings here.
Alongside the water park, the park features a cafe, picnic tables and a large playground featuring a sand pit, climbing frames, zip line, swings and more.
Open-air Swimming Nearby
Pools on the Park
Pools on the Park is located in the scenic Old Deer Park.
Alongside an adult’s and children’s indoor swimming pool, Pools on the Park has an outdoor heated swimming pool and a children’s paddling pool.
There is also a cafe onsite and a spacious grass area surrounding the outside swimming pool which is perfect for soaking up the sun after a refreshing swim and having a picnic.
Hampstead Ponds
Popular among locals and visitors alike, Hampstead Heath Ponds, also known as Hampstead Ponds, are a series of popular freshwater swimming ponds.
There are three main ponds: the men’s pond, the ladies’ pond, and the mixed pond, each of which are lifeguarded and open to the public.
Children aged 8 – 15 can swim in these ponds but must be accompanied by an adult.
Younger children can swim at The Parliament Hill Lido, a 60 metre long open-air swimming pool or go to the Parliament Hill Paddling Pool which is open daily from May to September.
Find out more about these ponds here.
Hampton Court
Hampton Court boasts a 36-metre heated outdoor swimming pool, open to the community year-round. You can even swim on Christmas Day!
There are a variety of swim sessions, including lane swimming, recreational sessions, and a learner pool that take place in the pool.
During the lane swim session, the pool is split into six lanes, each dedicated to different speeds and abilities, while during the recreational swim sessions, the pool is split in half to allow space for lane swimming on one side (up to three lanes) and family swimming and fun on the other.
There is also a shallow learner pool which is perfect for babies and toddlers to safely paddle.
Alongside the pools, there is a grassed area for you to relax.
Outdoor Swimming Pools in West London
There are a range of outdoor swimming pools in West London, including those in David Lloyd in Acton Park and the Riverside in Chiswick. Find out more about these outdoor swimming pools in our blog here.
