Swimming London : London's 50 greatest swimming spots

'Having been banned from pools all over London for health and safety reasons, I can only gaze longingly at the sumptuous array of London pools.

London swimmers rejoice!' - Jo BrandLondon is a city built on water, and ideal for swimmers.

Whether you are looking for an early morning dip on Hampstead Heath, want to join the Christmas Day Club at Hyde Park's Serpentine or are searching for a Lido in Tooting, wherever you are in the Capital, you are rarely more than a paddle away from somewhere to swim. Swimming London  is a guide, celebration and history of the 50 best swimming spots in London.

From the regal baths at the RAC club to the super-chic rooftop pools at the Berkeley Hotel and Shoreditch House; from the open-water havens at Ham Lake and even the River Thames, to the grand old lidos at London Fields and Parliament Hill there is something for the casual swimmer, the long-distance athlete and the family day out. Drawing on a lifetime of swimming in the Capital and filled with tips and stories from its watery history, Swimming London provides a unique perspective on the city.

So whether you're in search of swim off the Tottenham Court Road, or looking for somewhere to stretch your limbs on a summer's afternoon, this is the ultimate swimmer's companion.