Tooting Bec Lido, lido in London Borough of Wandsworth, United Kingdom
Tooting Bec Lido is a large outdoor swimming pool in the London Borough of Wandsworth and the biggest freshwater pool in the United Kingdom, measuring roughly 91 meters long and 30 meters wide. The pool sits on Tooting Bec Common and is surrounded by a grassy mound that screens it from view across the common, with only the main entrance visible.
The pool was built in 1906 as Tooting Bathing-Lake and was originally conceived as a job project for unemployed men. In the 1930s it gained the name 'Lido' and was upgraded with a fountain, a cafe, and new changing facilities.
The term 'lido' became common in the 1930s to describe open-air swimming pools in England. The brightly painted changing cabins in red, yellow, and green define the place's look and have made it a gathering spot for generations of visitors and families.
The pool is open daily from May to September with two swimming sessions each day, plus special opening times in April to start the season. Free parking is available nearby and several bus stops are close by, making the location easy to reach.
Scenes from the film Snatch featuring Brad Pitt were shot here, making the colorful cabins and unique setting a sought-after location for film productions. The hidden placement on a mound within the common is a rare architectural choice that deliberately isolates the pool from the surrounding landscape.
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