Looking for an excuse to revisit Kings Cross Pond, we booked a place on the Festival of Architecture Tour “Of Soil and Water” to find out a little more about London’s newest aquatic experience. Richard Meier (Argent Property Developers) led the walk explaining the site’s Victorian past and plans for the future. There was even a hint that the pool, like the London Eye, may live past its proposed two year life span. He explained how the artists’ original drawings of a mud puddle were worked up to a model and then to the sustainable pond we see today.

Then off to the Viewing Platform where visitors can gawp at the floundering swimmers below. It was a bit like watching the penguins at London Zoo. We half expected someone to come out with a bucket of fish.

Good to see the water has been cleaned up since our last visit. Apparently they’ve had some scuba divers clearing out the mud and also now use a robotic pool cleaner. They’ve also put some loungers out on the grass so swimmers can now catch some rays, relax with a book or watch the builders at work.

So after all this talking, we needed to get in that water. Places sell out at weekends, but they still had some tickets left for our Thursday morning slot. We dutifully paid our £6.50 (no discount for Fusion Members unfortunately), changed, and took a very cold shower before diving in. The pool was a pleasant 19·6°C so much warmer than last time.

On our previous visit there was nowhere to eat, so we were pleasantly surprised to see the new Skip Garden Café which has opened just outside the entrance gate. An excellent coffee and a wonderful menu, hand picked from their very own skip garden, including a delicious looking open cream cheese sandwich with Nasturtium flower (see below).

…looks like we have found another excuse to return.