It's only natural

Inspired by the crystal-clear swimming lakes of Austria and Germany, natural swimming pools are making more of a splash here than ever, says Anna Tyzack

- Anna Tyzack

WHEN Pete Boyle and his wife, Ciara Denvir, bought crumbling Ormiston House, outside Belfast, in 2014, they had no plans to reinstate the derelict three-quarter Olympic-size swimming pool—it was too much of a money pit. Instead, Mr Boyle tried to forget about the pool and focus on a different plan: creating a natural swimming pond to enjoy with his children. Yet, when Andrew Cox of natural-pool company Origin Aqua visited the house, which once belonged to shipbuilder Sir Edward Harland, he took one look at the enormous area and suggested they transform it into a natural swimming pool. ‘We didn’t know such a thing existed, but we’ve never looked back,’ Mr Boyle enthuses. ‘It’s a delightfully pure swimming experience, rather like diving into an Alpine lake, as there are no chemicals or salt.’