WE SWIM ALL YEAR ROUND IN OUR SLICE OF THE AEGEAN
SOPHIE GOOLEY, 46, is a podiatrist, and lives near Chichester, West Sussex, with her author husband Tristan, 47, and their sons Ben, 16, and Vinnie, 13. She says: PeoPle get very confused by our freshwater pool with its reeds and lily pads, querying whether it’s a pond or a swimming pool. It’s very much the latter — but, I will admit, it’s far from traditional.
It’s not just a summertime play-thing, either. We use it year-round for swimming, and have even enjoyed a quick dip on Christmas Day.
I jump in every morning after walking the dogs, Tristan loves a dip after work, and my sons leap in most days, too, usually with a collection of friends.
We’ve lived in our old cottage for 13 years and had the pool installed in the one-acre garden five years ago.
But rather than your average swimming pool, we wanted it to evoke our fondness for swimming outdoors in the sea and rivers as a family.
We often go sailing around the Greek islands, where we stop off in gorgeous, secluded little bays and coves and are usually the only boat there, so it’s just us and nature.
We just bob about surrounded by water and tranquillity — all the elements recreated in our pool at home, putting to good use Tristan’s lifelong study of water and nature, which he writes about in his books as the Natural Navigator ( naturalnavigator.com).
The pool cost around £40,000 and measures 10 x 5 metres and is 2.5 meters at its deepest. We had large, smooth stones installed at the deep end specifically for jumping off, and wooden steps at one side for climbing out.
There are irises and water mint alongside the lily pads and a small, chemical-free filtration system to ensure the water is pure. It’s the most glorious place from which to observe the changing seasons. At the moment, we are enjoying swathes of dragonflies and butterflies and, as dusk descends, bats swoop above.
Around the pool, taller shrubs provide shelter from the wind. Although we use the pool every day, it is not heated, so you would not want to spend more than 20 minutes in there at a time.
There are proven health benefits to having a blast of cold water, such as a boosted immune system, better skin and increased happiness. We don’t cheat by wearing wetsuits, either. The hot shower on the side is welcome after a dip.
Visitors are always surprised to see tadpoles in the water during the spring, bathing birds year round, and even newts and toads.
But I have grown used to my pool companions. Ducks are the only wildlife that get shooed away, because they leave such a mess.