On 5 October 2026 the water at London Fields Lido was 24°C. The same day, four miles north, Parliament Hill Lido was 17°C.
Both are 50-metre-plus outdoor pools in London. The difference is that London Fields is heated year-round and publishes the temperature on its own front page. It said 24 degrees, and that is what it holds in February as well as August.
So if the appeal of an outdoor pool is the open air rather than the cold, this is the one that works in January.
The adult price does not change, and the off-peak price does
This is the oddest thing on their price list and it is worth understanding before you plan around off-peak hours.
Pay as you go, adult 16 and over: £6.40 at peak. £6.40 off peak. Identical.
The off-peak discount exists, but not on the walk-up rate. On the discounted tiers an adult pays £4.55 at peak and £1.70 off peak, which is a 63% drop. Juniors aged 3 to 15 pay £3.75 at peak and £3.50 off peak on the walk-up rate, so they save 25p.
The practical conclusion: if you are paying at the door with no membership, there is no financial reason to swim off peak at all. Come whenever suits you. The off-peak hours are only worth arranging your day around if you hold the membership that unlocks £1.70.
The peak hours invert at the weekend
Worth reading twice, because it is the opposite of what you would guess.
Peak: Monday to Friday 6.30am to 9am and 4pm to 9pm. Saturday and Sunday 6.30am to 1pm.
Off peak: Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm. Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 9pm.
So a Tuesday evening swim is peak and a Sunday evening swim is off peak. The whole weekend afternoon and evening, right through to closing, is the cheap window, while on a weekday it is only the middle of the working day.
That makes Sunday from 1pm the single best-value slot in the week for anyone on a membership rate.
Open seven days, fourteen and a half hours a day
Monday to Sunday, 6.30am to 9pm. No short day, no closed day.
Compare that with Charlton, which shuts at 6pm at weekends, and with the Hampstead ponds, where last entry drops to 2pm in late autumn. This is the most consistently available outdoor pool of the set.
What it actually is
An Olympic-sized 50-metre floodlit heated outdoor pool, in the middle of London Fields park on the west side, with a sunbathing area, changing rooms and the Hoxton Beach Café.
Lane swimming runs daily. There are Swim Doctor sessions for technique, and outdoor yoga on the sunbathing terrace from May through October.
It is run by GLL as an agent in partnership with Hackney Council, which is why it carries Better pricing and membership rules.
There is also an Aqua Splash inflatable session, timetabled, at £8.00 adult and £4.55 junior.
Lockers want a pound coin
Lockers are free to use but operate on a £1 coin, refundable, or a token from reception. A reusable token costs £1.50.
Which is a problem in 2026, because most people no longer carry a pound coin. Either buy the £1.50 token once and keep it, or get a token at reception on the day.
Charlton’s lockers run on a 30p token bought contactless, so the two pools in the same chain handle this differently.
Access and getting there
London Fields West Side, Hackney, London E8 3EU.
The nearest stations are London Fields and Hackney Downs on the Overground, with Hackney Central and Bethnal Green also walkable. Buses 30, 48, 55, 106, 236, 254, 277, 394 and D6.
Bike storage for 75 bikes, which is six times Charlton’s 12 spaces and tells you how people actually arrive here.
Accessibility: disabled toilet, poolside hoist, ramp access and accessible changing. No car park is listed, so this is a pool you walk, cycle or train to. Broadway Market is a couple of minutes away.
How it compares on price
Adult walk-up rates for outdoor swimming in London, as published on 5 October 2026:
Hampstead Heath ponds: £5.00 flat, unheated.
Parliament Hill Lido: £5.00 at breakfast or evening, £8.80 midday in summer, unheated.
London Fields Lido: £6.40 at any hour, heated to 24°C.
Charlton Lido: £11.50, heated.
So London Fields is £1.40 more than the ponds and £5.10 less than Charlton, and it is the cheapest heated 50-metre outdoor pool of the group.
How to plan it
Swimming in winter outdoors: here, at 24°C year-round.
Paying at the door: come whenever you like, because adult walk-up is £6.40 at every hour.
On a membership rate: Sunday after 1pm, which is off peak all the way to 9pm.
Bring a pound coin or buy the £1.50 reusable locker token.
Arriving: by bike or Overground, because there is no car park and 75 bike spaces.
London Fields Lido
- Address
- London Fields West Side, Hackney, London E8 3EU
- Nearest
- London Fields and Hackney Downs, with Hackney Central and Bethnal Green walkable. Buses 30, 48, 55, 106, 236, 254, 277, 394 and D6
- Hours
- Monday to Sunday 6.30am to 9pm. Peak Monday to Friday 6.30am to 9am and 4pm to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 6.30am to 1pm. Off peak Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 9pm
- Booking
- Online or through the Better app, or pay on the day
- Price
- Adult 6.40 pounds pay as you go at both peak and off peak. Junior 3 to 15, 3.75 peak and 3.50 off peak. Discounted tiers 4.55 peak and 1.70 off peak. Aqua Splash 8 pounds adult. Lockers free on a 1 pound refundable coin or a 1.50 reusable token
- Standing
- A 50-metre floodlit outdoor pool in London Fields park, heated all year and open fourteen and a half hours a day, seven days a week
How to get in
The water is heated year-round and was 24 degrees on 5 October 2026, against 17 at the unheated Parliament Hill Lido. The adult walk-up price is identical at peak and off peak, so off-peak hours only save money on a membership rate. Weekend off peak runs 1pm to 9pm, so a Sunday evening swim is cheap and a Tuesday evening swim is not. Bike storage for 75 bikes and no car park.
Where to go next
Charlton Lido is the other 50-metre heated pool in the same chain, at nearly double the price but with a sauna.
Parliament Hill Lido is the 60-metre unheated one, and the lidos page compares the rest.
Questions we get asked
How much is London Fields Lido?
£6.40 for an adult aged 16 and over, at both peak and off-peak times. Juniors aged 3 to 15 pay £3.75 at peak and £3.50 off peak. On discounted membership tiers an adult pays £4.55 at peak and £1.70 off peak.
Is London Fields Lido heated?
Yes, year-round. The temperature is published on their own page and was 24°C on 5 October 2026, which makes it a genuine winter option unlike the unheated Hampstead Heath pools.
What are the peak times at London Fields Lido?
Peak is Monday to Friday 6.30am to 9am and 4pm to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday 6.30am to 1pm. Off peak is Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 9pm, so weekend afternoons and evenings are off peak while weekday evenings are not.
Is it worth swimming off peak at London Fields Lido?
Only if you hold a membership. The adult pay-as-you-go price is £6.40 at both peak and off peak, so there is no walk-up saving. On a membership rate the off-peak price drops from £4.55 to £1.70.
What time does London Fields Lido open?
6.30am to 9pm, Monday to Sunday, with no shorter day and no closed day.
How long is London Fields Lido?
50 metres, which is Olympic length. Parliament Hill Lido is longer at 60 metres, and Charlton Lido is also 50.
Do you need a pound coin for London Fields Lido lockers?
Yes, or a token. Lockers are free to use but operate on a £1 refundable coin or a token from reception, and a reusable token costs £1.50.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 267 in the guide.
Last checked 5 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
