The Art of Swimming *

Take a wander around the rapidly changing King's Cross area and you can't help but notice this intriguing sign in several places.

Further on, a fence and a planted mound obscure the view towards the newly minted apartment and office blocks.

A doorway invites you in, so you climb the stairs...

... and the mound's purpose is revealed.

My place was booked, so after checking-in I was pointed in the direction of the red and white cabins to make my preparations...

... and ponder the view.

Then I noted the temperature and...

... ignored the Frenchman still shivering on the side, and plunged straight in.

For a while I had the entire pond to myself.

King's Cross Pond is the UK's first natural swimming pond and the latest in a series of art installations in the Lewis Cubitt Park area of the shiny new King's Cross development. The design uses plants to filter the water, so no chlorine or other chemicals are added for cleaning.

It makes for a different, most surreal swimming experience, particularly when the Eurostar goes past or the area's cranes swoop across the sky with their loads.

The number of swimmers is limited to 160 per day, calculated to ensure the plants can maintain the water's quality. I had to take a cold shower before entering the pool as part of this process, and the surprised cries of later arrivals at this stage, gave those of us in the pool a sense of achievement. We got chatting too, which isn't the usual form when going for a swim.

The plants are separated from the bathers and take up around a third of the pond's area. It was great to lean on the wooden edge of the bathing area and peer down at the plants below. You can see water lilies floating on the surface and the surrounding aquatic plants include Phragmites, well known for its water filtration capabilities.

I loved the feel of the water, even if it was rather bracing, so the order of the day was to keep moving. Afterwards, the most invigorating glow spread throughout my body and later that evening, I had the best night's sleep I've had in months.

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The creator's intention is to provide a contrast between the urban and rural in the heart of the city. They've called the installation 'Of Soil and Water' and say it's a piece of 'experiential art'. I'm too down to earth to feel I've participated in an art installation, but it's interesting to note that since my visit, all I can think of is a massive black and white photography project, which documents the many moods of the pond and its visitors.

* = The Art of Swimming is the name of the book written by the creator of the Shaw Method, a way of teaching swimming developed by Steven Shaw. It's based on the principles of the Alexander Technique and places the emphasis on feeling at ease with the water, rather than swimming fast.

I feel the book's intention matched my experience.

Update: By a strange coincidence Caro was in the same area the day before me and had the chance for a good look around The Skip Garden. This is great because I wanted to have a look round too, but sadly I arrived too late in the day.