The natural pools could open as soon as 2026 (Image: Stroud Waters CIC)
Huge plans are in place to open geothermal swimming pools in the UK countryside neat year.
The green pastures of the Cotswold Way in Gloucestershire could be joined by the pools at Stroud Waters on Court Farm.
Two pools would be filled with clean water being naturally filtered by aquatic plants and biofiltration systems, with one heated by a geothermal well and the other changing naturally with the seasons.
The natural heating will work by extracting warm water from a geothermal well, transferring that heat to the pool before returning the cooler water back underground.
The land is being donated by local farmer Adam Knight, who has also offered to convert an existing barn on the site into changing rooms and a sauna.
The pools will be heated by a geothermal well (Image: Stroud Waters CIC)
The mastermind behind the “ambitious project”, Amy Morris, has said that they will need to raise £36,000 to pay for a feasibility study before work can begin.
This would reveal any potential obstacles, such as the quality of the water not meeting bathing standards, geothermal infrastructure, and biodiversity.
“We need concrete evidence that it’s possible to create what we’re thinking of,” Ms Morris told the .
“We want to make sure that we are getting all our ducks in a row so that when we present this to the council, they can see that we’ve thought of everything.”
If the study is successful, the Stroud Waters project coild be put before the council for a pre-application consultation this summer.
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Ms Morris said “Our community loves swimming outdoors all year round to support their health and well-being but we are limited in safe waters locally to do this.
“Natural swimming pools are environmentally sustainable alternatives to traditional chlorinated pools. They use aquatic plants and natural filtration systems creating a harmonious balance with the environment.
“Such spaces have proven immensely popular across Europe and are gaining traction in the UK.”
If all goes well, Ms Morris says she hopes the pools will be ready by 2026.