From a chlorine pool to a beautiful natural retreat

Our clients wanted to transform their garden into a beautiful outdoor living space that felt natural, required minimal maintenance and could be enjoyed throughout the seasons.

Their existing chlorinated swimming pool had become more of a burden than a pleasure. Expensive to heat, time-consuming to maintain and frequently hidden beneath an unattractive pool cover, it was rarely used.

A natural swimming pool offered the perfect alternative, providing sparkling, chemical-free water, beautiful aquatic planting and a stunning garden feature that changes with the seasons.

A small natural swimming pool with a big impact

Working alongside architect Simon Mack, who designed the outdoor living areas and pool house, we developed a natural pool design to complement the contemporary terraces and wrap around decking.

After visiting our natural pool at Ellicar, the clients fell in love with its distinctive angled swim zone. Rather than a large pool for swimming lengths, they wanted a beautiful water garden that would attract wildlife, provide a peaceful retreat and offer living water for refreshing swims.

We designed a compact, angular natural swimming pool, surrounded by a generous regeneration zone. Water lilies, oxygenators and native marginal plants contribute to hydro-botanical filtration while creating valuable wildlife habitat.

Low-maintenance landscaping for year-round beauty

To connect the pool with the surrounding outdoor living spaces, we designed a flowing gravel garden that wraps around the water.

Planted with drought-tolerant perennials and grasses, the gravel garden provides colour, texture and seasonal interest with relatively little maintenance. The free-draining gravel also doubles as a practical pathway around the pool.

A chemical-free swimming pool that's easy to maintain

Simplifying maintenance was a key priority. We designed thepool with reinforced concrete internal walls, allowing an automatic pool robotto clean the swimming zone with minimal effort.

The water is kept beautifully clear through Biotop biological filtration, without chlorine or salt-based sanitisation. The planted regeneration zone supports this natural process, creating a living water garden that evolves throughout the seasons.

Unlike their previous swimming pool, the new natural pool can remain uncovered, reflecting the sky and surrounding planting even during autumn and winter.

A garden designed to be enjoyed

Where the old chlorinated pool was rarely used and frequently covered, the new natural swimming pool provides a beautiful focal point throughout the year.

Surrounded by wildlife-friendly planting, contemporary decking and inviting outdoor living spaces, it offers a peaceful retreat for swimming, relaxing and entertaining.

This Berkshire project demonstrates how even a small natural swimming pool can transform a garden, creating a beautiful, low-maintenance alternative to a conventional chlorine pool.