London’s latest open water swimming course opens

A new open water swimming facility has opened at Greenland Dock, near Canada Water.

The area is operated from the Surrey Docks Fitness and Watersports Centre, which is located next to the dock. The centre is owned by Southwark Council and is operated by the council’s in-house leisure services team.

Councillor Portia Mwangangye, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Parks and Young People, said: “The Greenland Dock open swim course is a great place to experience open water swimming in a safe and scenic environment. There is something truly special about swimming in the open air with the view of a London skyline in front of you.

“Introducing open water swimming was a key commitment in our council delivery plan and I am thrilled we have been able to bring the wide range of health benefits of open swimming to Southwark this summer.

“The sessions are already proving popular, and we are looking at reintroducing them next year.”

Southwark Council took the operations of its leisure services back in-house in 2023.

James Paramore, Business Engagement Manager at Swim England, who has been supporting the council with the project, said: “Congratulations to Southwark Leisure for bringing swimming to Greenland Dock. The addition of outdoor swimming also comes at the perfect time. We have seen the popularity of outdoor swimming rocket since the pandemic, with over 4 million adults swimming in open water each year in England. That includes almost 1 million Londoners.”