Hampstead Heath

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THE PONDS, Still Waters Run Deep, a film by Patrick McLennan and Samuel Smith
Taking the Waters, written by Caitlin Davies with photography by Ruth Corney

Hampstead Heath (locally known as "the Heath") is a large, ancient London park, covering 320 hectares (790 acres). This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London Clay. The Heath is rambling and hilly, embracing ponds, recent and ancient woodlands, a lido, playgrounds, and a training track, and it adjoins the stately home of Kenwood House and its grounds. The south-east part of the Heath is Parliament Hill, from which the view over London is protected by law.

Running along its eastern perimeter are a chain of ponds – including three open-air public swimming pools – which were originally reservoirs for drinking water from the River Fleet. The Heath is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, and part of Kenwood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Lakeside concerts are held there in summer. The Heath is managed by the City of London Corporation, and lies mostly within the London Borough of Camden with the adjoining Hampstead Heath Extension and Golders Hill Park in the London Borough of Barnet.

Taking the Waters

Taking the Waters: A Swim Around Hampstead Heath is a book that celebrates four unique open water swimming spots on Hampstead Heath: the Kenwood Ladies' Pond, the Highgate Men's Pond, the Mixed Bathing Pond, and the Parliament Hill Lido. Written by Caitlin Davies, the photography for the 176-page book was done by Ruth Corney. People have swum at the ponds for over 200 years - from champion swimmers and world famous divers, to international film stars and hardy year-round bathers - while the Lido is one of London's few remaining outdoor pools. Together they attract over a quarter of a million visits a year. How and why did they come to be and what stories do they have to tell? This book is an illustrated history full of personal memories, archive images and stunning modern photography.

The Ponds

THE PONDS, Still Waters Run Deep is a documentary film created by Laser Guided Productions about the open water swimmers who regularly enjoy the waters of Hampstead Heath in London. The film was produced by Patrick McLennan and Samuel Smith with original music by Dai Watts and executive producer Christopher Hird. The Ponds was released in the UK in 2019 to wide acclaim. The Ponds was subsequently screened on the BBC and was released worldwide in 2020.

The Ponds Trailer



2020 WOWSA Awards

THE PONDS, Still Waters Run Deep by Patrick McLennan and Samuel Smith was nominated for the 2020 WOWSA Awards in the World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year in the following nomination: Producers Patrick McLennan and Samuel Smith captured the heart and soul of the swimmers of Hampstead Heath, a well-established gathering place in London. The documentary film, created by Laser Guided Productions with original music by Dai Watts and executive producer Christopher Hird, tells the swimmers who regularly enjoy the waters of Hampstead Heath. The swimmers of all ages and from all walks of life are the subject of their documentary film THE PONDS, Still Waters Run Deep. For over 200 years, the beauty and tranquility of the segregated Men's, Ladies' and Mixed Ponds has drawn swimmers to relax, revive and recover from the stress of their dryland existence. For showcasing the confidence and joy of swimmers emerging from the Ponds, for presenting dramatically inspirational cases of resilience and recreation by men and women, and for presenting relatable human stories in the backdrop of a historic pond, THE PONDS, Still Waters Run Deep by producers Christopher Hird, Patrick McLennan and Samuel Smith is a worthy nominee for the 2020 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.​

External links

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