Whether you’re a frequent visitor to the Hampstead Heath Ponds or are just dipping your toe into one of London’s many lidos, more and more of us are discovering the exhilaration of open water swimming. Few locations, however, can offer an al fresco swimming experience quite like Canary Wharf’s Middle Dock.

This new addition to London’s open water swimming landscape promises fantastic views of One Canada Square and Newfoundland from its 600 metre swimming area. Created in partnership with swimming operator Love Open Water and the Canal & River Trust, Canary Wharf’s Middle Dock offers a safe and professional open water swimming environment for visitors of all levels, from experienced triathletes to those brand new to the sport.

Those wary of the hygiene implications of open water swimming in the heart of the city can also rest assured. Canary Wharf has teamed up with NOWCA, the UK’s largest network of safe open water venues, to ensure the water undergoes full testing twice a month to maintain its ‘Excellent’ EU Bathing Standards rating.

Unlike some of the capital’s less comprehensive open water swimming venues, Middle Dock also offers swimmers waterside changing huts and lifeguarded sessions, allowing all swimmers over the age of 10 to enjoy the open water swimming experience.

Being home to over 20 acres of parks, gardens and squares, the launch of open water swimming at Canary Wharf is part of the estate’s drive to make its waters accessible to residents and visitors, allowing them to reconnect with nature among the area’s famed skyscrapers. Other recent on-water initiatives include the addition of GoBoat London to the neighbourhood last year, while Canary Wharf will host the paddleboard APP World Tour in August 2022.

To take part in open water swimming at Middle Dock, all visitors need do is purchase a NOWCA annual membership, which costs £15 per year. Membership grants access to over 40 open water swimming locations across the UK, including Canary Wharf’s Middle Dock, where four-hour swimming sessions cost £8. There will also be regular free NOWCA Swim events for members.

And, after you’ve worked up an appetite in the water, Canary Wharf is the perfect spot to indulge in a post-swim bite to eat. With hundreds of cafés and restaurants across the estate to choose from, ranging from coffee shops to fine dining eateries, as well as a free mini golf course, Summer Lights art trail and a huge range of other activities to enjoy, an open water swim is the ideal way to start a memorable day out in London’s most exciting neighbourhood.