It’s the perfect summer setting – sun sparkling on clear water, flickering shadows between reeds and darting dragonflies. There can be nothing more beautiful than diving into a clear lake on a warm summer day.

Except perhaps, that the tranquil lake happens to be at the bottom of your garden. And if you don’t happen to be blessed with a natural lake in the garden, landscape architect Andy Jones will create one for you.

Andy Jones, from Stroud in Gloucestershire, runs Metamorphosis, in partnership with Ebb and Flow Ltd, specialising in water landscaping - anything from a garden pond to a reed bed sewerage system for up to 50 people or a natural swimming pond. Having researched the concept in Austria in 1995 as a student he was one of the first to establish them in this country in the summer of 2000. One recent commission was for a pool that perches magnificently in a beautiful garden overlooking one of the nearby Stroud valleys. 

“It’s a natural swimming pool, or pond might be a better description,” said Andy. “You’re swimming in a natural environment as opposed to a blue rectangular box, which is more the image of a traditional pool.”

The key difference between a natural swimming pond and a conventional pool is the lack of chemicals. Instead the pond has a shallower edge that allows planning of specially selected marginal plants that filter and clean the water naturally.

All the tests that have been done on these kind of natural swimming pools have shown the water is up to EU bathing standards. The lack of chlorine means that bathers will be sharing the water with wildlife that has taken up residence, an indication of the waters cleanliness.

There are a few newts swimming in the pool near Stroud and we also spotted water boatmen and dragonflies skimming across the surface. It is largely weed free and, provided you’re the kind of person that enjoys swimming in natural environment you’re more likely to bother them than the other way around.

On our visit to the pool we could hardly wait to take the plunge. The water is cool, but not cold, and the pool is deep enough to swim the 12 metre length quite comfortably.

We were sold on the pool but wondered what it cost to build one. Andy says they’re around £250-£350 per square metre making an average sized pool of 100m2 total area between £25-35,000. They can be completed in as little as 5 weeks and ready to use straight away but the ecology takes a few weeks to get established before the water becomes clear.

Once complete it’s a low maintenance option. There’s no need to add chlorine or clean a filter as with a conventional pool. Overall it probably works out cheaper than a conventional pool. It can be landscaped into the garden and makes a beautiful feature to sit by as well as swim in.

Fran Mosley, owner of  the pool we visited is delighted with her pool. “I have always wanted a swimming pool,” she said. “I first read about natural pools in permaculture magazine and thought ‘great’ because I really don’t like chlorinated pools. I did a bit of research which led me to Andy. We are very pleased. I’m amazed how clean it’s kept and it’s a beautiful thing to look at.”

Adapted from an article by Victoria Temple that appeared in  The Citizen.