Our Natural Swimming Pools
Beautiful, wildlife-friendly swimming ponds with a purpose-built oak-edged swim zone, naturally filtered water and year-round appeal.
Natural swimming ponds with a purpose-built oak-edged swim zone
Beautiful, wildlife-friendly swimming ponds with a purpose-built oak-edged swim zone, naturally filtered water and year-round appeal.
At Mount Pleasant Natural Pools, we design and build natural swimming ponds that combine the beauty of a wildlife pond with the comfort of a properly constructed swimming area.
Our pools are designed to look natural within the garden, but they are not simply ponds that happen to be deep enough to swim in. Each pool has a defined swim zone, separated from the planted regeneration area by a submerged structural wall finished with oak sleepers.
This gives you clean, open water for swimming, while the surrounding gravel beds, aquatic plants and beneficial microorganisms help support natural water quality.
No chlorine. No harsh chemicals. Just naturally filtered water, thoughtful construction and a living pond that becomes part of your garden.
A hybrid natural pool system
Our approach sits between a traditional swimming pond and a formal natural swimming pool.
You get the soft, natural look of a planted pond, but with the usability of a clearly defined swimming area. The oak-topped wall separates the swim zone from the regeneration zone, helping keep planting and gravel out of the swimming area while creating a beautiful natural edge.
It is a pond-like pool designed for proper swimming.
How our pools work
A Mount Pleasant natural swimming pond has two main areas working together.
The swim zone is the deeper open-water area used for swimming.
The regeneration zone is the planted, gravel-filled area that supports natural filtration. Aquatic plants, gravel beds and beneficial microorganisms help absorb nutrients and maintain a balanced living system.
Water is gently circulated using low-energy airlift pumps, which help move and oxygenate the water without relying on heavy mechanical pool equipment. A wildlife-friendly skimmer helps remove leaves and surface debris before they sink and break down.
Naturally filtered water
Natural swimming ponds do not use chlorine or harsh chemical treatment. Instead, water quality is supported by good design, planting, gravel filtration, oxygenation, circulation and regular removal of organic debris.
The water should feel clean, fresh and inviting, but it is not sterile like a conventional swimming pool. It is a living body of water, and that is part of what makes it special.
What about algae?
Some algae is normal in any living pond, especially while a new pool is establishing or during warm spring weather.
Our pools are designed to keep algae under control by limiting excess nutrients, circulating and oxygenating the water, and using aquatic plants to compete for nutrients. Any excess string algae can easily be removed by hand or netted out.
Maintenance and seasonal care
A natural swimming pond is lower maintenance than a conventional pool in many ways, but it is not maintenance-free.
Typical care includes removing leaves and debris, checking the skimmer, cutting back aquatic plants, removing dead growth, and occasional vacuuming of the swim zone.
Most of this is simple garden-style maintenance rather than chemical pool management.
A pool for every season
A natural swimming pond is not only for hot summer days.
In summer, it is somewhere to swim, cool off and relax. In spring and autumn, it becomes a beautiful changing garden feature full of planting, reflections and wildlife. In winter, it can still be enjoyed as a natural focal point — and when the water is not iced over, it can be used for cold water dips by those who enjoy winter swimming.
Designed around your garden
Every pool is designed around the site, the setting and the way you want to use it.
Some clients want a family swimming pond close to the house. Others want a larger, more natural pond that feels part of the wider landscape. We consider the space, access, levels, planting, views, maintenance and overall feel before designing the right pool for your garden.
Visit our own natural swimming pond
We built our own natural swimming pond before offering them to clients, so we can talk from real experience about how they look, feel and behave through the seasons.
For serious enquiries, visits to our own pond may be arranged by appointment. You can see the oak-edged swim zone, regeneration planting, water clarity, wildlife and overall feel of a working natural pool in person and even have a swim.
Start planning your natural swimming pond
If you are considering a natural swimming pond, we would be happy to talk through your ideas.
Get in touch to arrange an initial conversation.
