Gildenburgh Water Featured venue

Gildenburgh Water has been owned and operated by Ian & Pauline Forster, and their family, for 32 years. You’ll enjoy the friendly family atmosphere that has made this attractive, and important, national swimming venue so popular. A former blue clay brick pit flooded by London Brick in 1934, the site is naturally filtered, and consistently recommended by swimmers for its clear, clean, pure, deep water.
Unlike many shallow man-made lakes and former gravel workings that harbour freshwater snails, and parasites that infect swimmers, local residents and swimmers from many areas of the UK have enjoyed their sport free of the dreaded “swimmer’s itch” for more than 80 years. In fact, visiting swimmers who do have “the itch” often get better in this mineral-rich, therapeutic lake.
All abilities and ages are welcome, including costume-only and wetsuit swimmers (subject to safety policy). Whether you’re trying open water swimming for the first time, a child wanting to enjoy some splash time, or a member of the English Channel relay team you’ll get fitter and healthier at this amazing venue. Triathletes, in particular, can benefit from the variable terrain of this 32 acre training centre and surrounding area, which includes the 2000 Millennium Green Wheel Cycle Route, by adding bike and run phases to their swim session. Or anyone just looking to get fitter, or lose weight, can benefit from the healthy outdoor environment.
ASA Swimming Teacher, Middle Distance Coach and former British team member, Ian Forster, lives on the site, and is available for training tips and schedules.
We love helping our swimmers achieve their goals whether you do one 400m lap or a 40 lap/10000 metre swim. And the clear water enables swimmers of any level to quickly improve their technique by being able to see the rotation and inclination of their hands during each stroke. Open 64 hours every week (except Christmas Day & Boxing Day), on 363 days in 2017-2018, that’s more than 3300 hours a year for you to get fitter, quicker and more efficiently.

Venue facilities include:
- 80 seat clubhouse adjacent to the lake
- Changing rooms
- Free parking
- Toilets
- Rescue boat
- Accommodation
- Resident swim-bike-run & fitness coach
- Video coaching
- Hot & cold drinks
- Home-cooked snacks and meals
- Equipment hire
- Well-stocked, competitively-priced shop