The pond opens at 7:00 am and last entry is at 8.15pm. Vacate water by 8.30pm and the compound by 8.45pm (updated July 31st). However - booking is now required in the evening as well! (Slots 6.15pm - 7.25pm, 7.30pm - 8.45pm, until Aug 15th)
Please check the City of London website here for the timetable, which will next change on Aug 15th.
In summer (May - early September), the City provide slot booking - the slots are roughly one hour, non-overlapping, from 12 noon till the pond closes. In the hot summer of 2026, booking is advisable to guarantee entry. If the slots are busy they will also clear the water and then the compound at the end of each slot. When quieter they are usually more relaxed.
In the colder months from September through April there is no need or possibility to book.
Before 11 am they operate an unbooked "free flow" system (unless very busy when they may implement "one in one out"). On colder days you can usually just turn up and swim as long as you like (at the Men's at least; the Mixed and Ladies tend to be busier.)
Book here with the City's new booking system from Summer 2026. (Created by a company called XNLeisure - no longer Eventbrite.)
Charges: Compulsory charging to enter and swim is now in place, despite lengthy opposition from the pond associations. The current full price is £5 for a single swim. Season tickets are much better value if you swim more than three times per month, they are £83 for six months or £157 for a year.
Concessions: Students, swimmers on universal credit and several other state benefits, disabled swimmers or those 60 and over pay a reduced fee of £3 for a single swim. Season tickets for those eligible are £50 for six months or £94 for a year.
Swimmers' support fund: If you are unable to afford a season ticket, even at the concessionary rate, the association will be pleased to consider paying the cost on your behalf. To learn more, please email hmpa.membership@gmail.com. (Please allow us a few days to answer - we are volunteers!)
Free swims: If you are under 16 or 60+ you can swim for free provided you enter before 9.30 am. (The swimming associations have requested that this time be extended or moved later but this has not been agreed)
Next to the pond there is an open-air changing area with two communal cold showers and a separate toilet block. You are welcome to bring soap to rinse off the pond water. Lockers are not provided. If possible, please only apply sunscreen after swimming to avoid contaminating the ponds. Consider wearing a UV resistant rash vest if you need to avoid sun exposure while swimming.
We are now on the summer circuit of length ~300 metres around the ropes. Current water temperature is around 24°C (July 31st 2026). (See temperature links below)
The water quality of the Men's Pond has consistently been rated "excellent" (the highest possible rating) by the Environment Agency. Fresh water enters the pond from a few springs south of Kenwood House via a number of upstream ponds. So far in 2026 we have not suffered from Blue-Green Algae (cyanobacteria). There is no permitted "sewage outflow" into the ponds* as there is with most rivers, as they are the top of the catchment.
Water samples are taken regularly over the summer and you can access all of the data on this Environment Agency webpage. (You will see there is the occasional spike in bacteria levels, typically due to recent heavy rain, washing in "runoff")
Some people do occasionally attribute upset stomachs to the pond water, although this seems to be a small minority. You should also exercise caution if you have a recent cut as these can get infected.
The Ladies' pond had to close in the autumn of 2025 due to algal blooms; it has also been suffering in Summer 2026 but has not closed. Fortunately this has not affected the men's. We regularly discuss water quality. The City have recently renewed the men's aerators (which were out of action for a couple of years).
*In July 2021 there was a torrential downpour which lifted the manhole covers in Fitzroy Park and Millfield lane, and this did result in sewage entering the pond, which was then closed for around a week while the city monitored bacteria levels on a daily basis.
Public transport:
Parking on Millfield Lane N6 6JD. Pay & Display Monday - Friday 10:00 - 12:00. 60 minutes maximum (~£4.60). Otherwise free parking (but somewhat restricted places). Millfield lane is one-way by the pond.
Bikes can be locked to the stout metal railings, or the new green dedicated bike park - at your own risk of course.
You can usually tie up friendly dogs 🐕🦺 in the scrub around the toilets, at the city steward's discretion; there was a dedicated dog pound for the last few years, but the area was used for a new steward's hut. We are hopeful a new dedicated area will be created. In the mean time, please politely ask the steward whether and where it's OK to park a dog; if it's busy e.g. on a sunny weekend, you may find there is no room. Please don't be upset if this happens. Either tie the dog up outside (!) or try out the mixed pond. Email hmpa.membership@gmail.com or DM the admins on the main WhatsApp to ask to be added to the dog pound group for the latest updates.
The path from Millfield lane to the pond compound entrance is rough gravel. It's possible to enter from there into the changing area without steps, but getting to the water still requires steps and then a variety of near-vertical step-ladders to get in.
An accessible changing hut with modern railings and a water hoist has been constructed over the past 2-3 years; if you have mobility needs you can ask the lifeguards if you can use these facilities. Please contact the City for up-to-date accessibility details.
The City of London Corporation publish temperatures once or twice a week, see this page.
The West Reservoir in Hackney is bigger than the pond, but a similar depth (3~4m) and a swimmer there called Tom has created this forecast of the temperature over the next few days, based on the weather forecast: West Reservoir Water Temperature Tracker · Streamlit
To get a sense of what the temperature is like in real time, you can check out live readings from a nearby (but shallower and therefore more weather-sensitive) proxy pond here. (We had this sensor in the men's pond for a few months but the City decided to remove it.)
The Diving Board has been open again since ~31st Jan 2026. We are trying to keep track of the dates - it was closed for most of 2025. Enjoy responsibly!
Closures due to inclement weather are generally reported on this City of London page. We also try to make members aware of any closures through the members-only WhatsApp group that you can sign up for when you become a member. The City's rule is that they close all the ponds for any period when wind gusts of 40mph+ are forecast by the Met Office, for the "Hampstead Heath Youth Hostel" (apparently 4 Wellgarth Road - now flats). If you use the Windy app or similar, you may know this is from the UKV model. Wind gusts are typically reported separately from just "wind".
Pond photographs copyright © Ben White - All Rights Reserved. For any use please contact Highgate Men's Pond Association through hmpa.membership@gmail.com.