About the pool

A hidden gem celebrating its 7th decade!

The Community Pool at Waltham Forest College, 707 Forest Road E17 4JB

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Train:
Trains run to Walthamstow Central from Liverpool Street station (a bus can then be taken to the College, see below). Wood Street station is approximately a 10-minute walk from the College.

Tube:
The Victoria Line ends at Walthamstow Central, which is approximately a 15-minute walk to the College. Alternatively, you can get a bus, see below.

Bus:
From Walthamstow Central:Bus 275 stops outside the College, 212 stops across the road from the College (Shernhall Street). Buses 97, 357, 34 or 215 stop at the ‘Bell Corner’ (junction of Hoe Street and Forest Road). From here, the College is approximately five-minute walk.

From Blackhorse Road Tube Station: Bus 123 also stops outside the College on route between Tottenham and Ilford

Cycling? there are bike to stands at the rear of the college. Just turn left at the car park and then enter by the first rear entrance road on the right. Bike stands are beside the portacabins near the college entrance doors.

Waltham Forest College Pool is ideal for you if you like

30m lane swiming for fitness and pleasure
friendly fellow-swimmers and poolside staff
exceptional value: the largest pool in the borough which is never overcrowded.
free poolside equipment including pull buoys etc

Look: we got it covered!

A new pump, a new filtration system, new air conditioning and a new coat of paint and changing rooms Spring cleaned for Autumn….

Karen Hayes stands before the mighty filter. Dating from the 1930s, this trojan made way for a great new modern filter thanks to new grants (see below).

Richard Dunkling brings one of his many skills to the pool refurbishment

What’s new

Everyone will tell you that you won’t get a grant unless you have a long term future. Well, here’s the real breakthrough: the college pool has become a community interest company called The Community Pool and signed a 30 year lease with Waltham Forest College allowing it to develop the pool for a new generation. This means that from a bleak moment when the pool had to close three years ago, we are now in a position to apply for grants. The first round of grants is allowing us to do the following, and that’s why we are closing:

We are giving the old plant room a much more efficient and reliable system. That means the end of the huge wastage of water. It also means goodbye to sand in the pool which was due to how the filter worked. ( Sorry to those of you who liked the sand!)

A minimum of 20% of electricity will be saved by putting in a modern air-heating system. And that would be no good without keeping as much heat in the water as possible, so we are installing a pool cover.

All these changes make us greener but they also reduce our very very high overheads, which in time would have made the enterprise unviable.

Karen Hayes and her team worked flat out, backed up to the hilt by Waltham Forest College, making the Community Pool one of the great success stories of the borough. The investment being made now will secure its future for all of us and a new generation. So if you know someone who wants to swim or learn to swim just point them to the website. Thank you for your support everyone.