Brockwell Lido

Just for the pool and café, haven’t tried the gym yet:
Pool: bottom was a bit full of algae but the water is nice. Obviously it is unheated so bear that in mind. Staff are very friendly
Café: makes a rock solid breakfast. I particularly liked the poached eggs and the grilled mushrooms. They also do a nice porridge

The lido is pretty much the best thing about this end of Herne Hill. In the summer, you can swim, and in the winter, you can use the indoor gym and sauna. Not to mention that behind the building is a BMX track, and inside the building is the famous Lido Café.
Great community hub, I run into my neighbours here all the time.

It doesn’t look like much from the outside and I had to double check the address before going in because the signs are right around the side, but once you get a look at that outdoor swimming pool, all worries are forgotten.
It’s spectacular. Water as far as the eye can see in both directions, this pool is the king of all other pools in terms of size. Admittedly it isn’t heated, but on a hot day I’d imagine that’s something of a relief.
The gym is pimp, there’s no other way to describe it, the hydrotherapy area is stunning, luxurious and above all else, spotless, and the staff are INCREDIBLE. So friendly and motivated. If you’re flagging a bit on your fitness resolution, Brockwell Lido could perk you up in no time.

Fantastic outside pool and great little restaurant that serves simple but beautifully put together brunches and dinners. A must visit.

In a nice location but very pricey for what you get.
Frequently very busy with a lot of damaged equipment

Mixed feelings about my little local gym/​fitness place
So you’re probably are keen to know about the pool. Well, yes, its cold. And when it’s hot outside, it looks as if the whole of south London has come to sunbathe with their kids.
So i’m not much of a pool goer but I do love the gym and a few classes. The location is super duper: I get to cross leafy Brockwell Park as a warm up for my work outs.
The gym has no power plates but is still quite luxurious with all the tellys and a jacuzzi with steam room and sauna (and its even clean enough for my OCD standards). As a student, i dont bother with a pricey membership because for me its only £7.50 a go with the gym (this includes the sauna and whatnot). That’s pretty decent since you are technically working out in a refurbished art deco building that has a view over a park.
i do enjoy the classes such as zumba and swiss ball but theyre all rubbishly managed with only 1 or 2 slots a week even if there are between 10 and 20 people on the waiting list for each class. So as a non-​member ive only been able to squeeze into two of those slots once in my entire life. Also too many times ive turned up when they said they had space only to be sent back home because the teacher hasn’t shown up/​the class is actually full/​the power isn’t working…
Nevertheless I wouldn’t do anything aside from my pilates class with Victoria on Saturday mornings (£10 for an hour) which is independently managed. There are also great classes such as abs and stretch and LBT with lesser demand. Once you’re in, you have a great time.

When I used to live in South London my friends and I used to head down here at the first sign of any sort of sunlight to spread our towels out, get our tan on and splash around in the water drawing lots of attention to ourselves (forgive us, we were only schoolgirls :))
It’s a really decent size lido meaning even on scorching hot days there is still plenty of space for all people from all walks of life yummy mummies with screaming babies, boisterous school kids and even serious swimmers.
It’s not too pricey and if you get a set of 10 vouchers it’s only £40 (that’s £4 per swim, a £1.20 discount for adults) which should see you nicely through the summer months

In the summer beautiful in the winter very, very cold!!! Nice place to go anytime of the week. Staff are very helpful, the facilities of the gym are fantastic, the health suite is prefect and you have free parking!!! You can’t ask for more!

Lovely lido situated in Brockwell park. It has been recently refurbished with decent facilities. Pool is not heated so it can be a little chilly. There are ample sun terraces for sunbathing and relaxation. There is a fitness club on the premises but I don’t do fitness club!
No proper café yet as it’s being renovated which does seem strange considering it’s peak season now. There are rudimentary coffee/​tea and snacks being offered. But I did not try them.

What else could explain the surge of attendance at leisure centres up and down the country in the first week of January but the most-​resolved New Year’s resolution of them all: get fit.
I’m no gym bunny since taking up running a couple of years ago and finally dusting off the set of purple plastic dumb bells my parents bought for me from a car boot sale in 1999, but after a couple of months of ill health and the discovery that my local gym is friendly, not too expensive and most importantly doesn’t tie you in to a contract, I thought it was time to give indoor training another shot.
Since joining the newly built gym at Brockwell Lido at the end of December I’ve got a lot for my monthly fee — attending a whole heap of exercise classes, using the gym and spending time luxuriating in the spa area: sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool. I’ve especially enjoyed the rigours of spinning and Boxerfit, watching TV on the treadmill and soothing my aches and pains in the spa afterwards, and there are plenty more classes I’d like to try, with a new timetable starting tomorrow.
Other great things about the membership are 1) you can cancel at any time between the 1^st and 18^th of the month so you’re not tied in to 6 or 12 months (though there is a yearly option) and 2) you don’t have to complete a gym induction. The instructors are happy to write a program for you and give you an induction if you want one, but if you’ve ever used a gym before it’s nice not to have to.
Brockwell Lido is part of Fusion, so you can use the facilities in Camberwell, East Dulwich and Peckham if you like, so swimming is possible even in the winter months. All in all I’m very pleased I’ve invested in the membership, even if it ends up only being for a few months until the park warms up a bit.

There are the insane few who, regardless of the weather still brave the freezing outdoor pool at the Brockwell Lido. For the less insane they have recently opened up a new and well equipped gym, spa, steam room and exercise studio which allow you to stay in shape without getting hyperthermia.
The Brockwell Lido used to have the feel of a rather grotty park swimming pool. You would always dread the trip to the showers and loos at the end of a day basking in the sun by the pool edge. Now however, although the pool remains the same the facilities are clean and modern, making all the difference.
So if it is a day of lying in the summer sun and going for the occasional splash in the water, or a refreshing and hardcore work out and morning swim, then the Brockwell Lido is in my opinion a great choice.
It is full of character and the pool is huge enough to prevent you from bumping into every other person there.

Many a happy Summers afternoon can be spent in this huge pool. A healthy mix of local yummy mummys and their sproglets together with the poseurs and loafers and splashers and le soleil worshippers. Its ok y’know!

Lido’s — tres Art Deco darling. I didn’t realise that they got these places still going: when I left Bristol, they were doing up the Clifton Lido REALLY BADLY. So, went to Brockwell Lido on a cold October evening we were visiting a friend who lived near the park thur. And the water was COLD, my friends didn’t want to go in but we had packed all our stuff so took the plunge we did.
It was absolutey freezing. But we warmed up pretty quick. Swimming in open air is pretty refreshing. And in such a sympathetic surround as well. It wasn’t raining which I’m sure might have dampened (geddit?) my recollections.
On the pricey side, I dont go swimming often but £5.50 or whatever is steep for me. Luckily we had my pal’s membership card so we split the cost between us. If I ever got all middle class on yo’ ass and moved to Herne Hill/​East Dulwich/​etc/​etc I’d get a membership and go there quite a lot!

Diving into an outdoor pool at 6:30 in the morning makes you feel truly alive in London, sadly the pool is now closed for winter as of September 30^th but a number of events are planned for the winter season including scuba diving courses so do keep an eye out for more information on the website.
Full season ticket goes from £150 in May and June down to £45 in September. It gets progressively cheaper month by month from July.
Concessions season ticket start at £105 and go down to £25 in September.
Early swim only season ticket starts at £80 and goes down to £30 in September.
They’ve got a voucher scheme this year — which is a good idea. 10 vouchers are £40.
A single ticket adult swim is £5.20/£3.60 (conc). Early morning is £2.60/£2.30 (conc). Evening swim is £3/£2.50 (conc)
They also have special child season tickets, child vouchers, OAP rates, family rates, family concession rates.