Description: The Ponds have been a Male Institution for well over a century. It is the site of an old gravel pit with ducks and swans, through which the River Strand flows (merely a small trickle at this stage). There was always a tradition of nude sunbathing, but in recent years, about a third of the area has been partitioned off for nude only use, the remainder being used for changing purposes or clad sunbathing. The location could not possibly be called idyllic, being a concreted area in an ugly compound, but nevertheless "fun" and contact can be "had". This is especially true, as you are packed in like sardines. If the thought of "very" proximity to a nude male appeals to you, then The Ponds are for you! This is NOT an exclusively gay preserve, but looking around the nude section, it is usually difficult to see an str8 insight.
Facilities: The fee for using the area is £2 with a pay machine so you need change, although a lot of people seem not to bother paying but that may be because they have a season ticket. The parking on Millfield Lane is metered late morning at £2.40 for 90 minutes so make sure you have changed.
23rd July 2020: now reopened for restricted swimming. Book and pay online; one-hour slots at various times. The screens have been replaced with benches, one man at a time in the shower, when I was there only one naked sunbather, the Wainthrops all kept covered. All leave after the hour for the lifeguards to clean against the next opening. No longer a place for cruising or hanging out, alas, though there were about a dozen diehards on the lawn outside.
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