Idyllic swimming oasis filtered by nature and Waterco
Cotswolds, UK
“The area’s bucolic backdrop provided the perfect setting for a natural swimming pool
designed to seamlessly blend in with both the landscape and the built environment.”
Tony Fisher,
Waterco’s Division CEO,
North America and Europe
- Water clarity and purity needed for outdoor swimming pool
- Challenges included alkaline limestone, difficult access and water courses
- Waterco's filtration solutions ideal for natural pool installations
Setting: A natural swimming oasis in England’s iconic Cotswolds countryside
Designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1966, the Cotswolds covers 787 square miles (2,040 km2) across five counties and is the second largest protected landscape in England. It is famed for its rolling hills, stone-built cottages, celebrity residents (Kate Moss, Kate Winslet and Liz Hurley, to name a few), and the Prince of Wales’ Highgrove Estate.
The area’s bucolic backdrop provided the perfect setting for a natural swimming pool designed to seamlessly blend in with both the landscape and the built environment.
As the pool is visible from the house and terrace, the owner wanted an eye-catching design that not only complemented the landscape, but was also easy to maintain.
Challenge: Alkaline limestone, difficult access and water courses
There were numerous challenges with a pool of this nature, starting with its location. As it is positioned on a steep slope with a lot of natural water courses and springs running through it, adequate gravity drainage needed to be installed.
The second challenge involved the surrounding stone work, which the pool owners requested be used to match the house and local area. Also known as Oolitic Limestone, Costwold Stone is too alkaline and porous to be used in conjunction with the construction of a pool so consequently, managing director of Mountain Pools, Tim Gunning, trucked in 80 tonnes of similarly coloured granite from mid-Wales – including a massive boulder that was originally destined for his own garden.
“Due to difficult site access, Tim had to build a special toboggan to move the stone to the build site!” says Tony Fisher, Waterco’s Division CEO, North America and Europe.
Solution: Waterco’s specialised solutions for natural swimming pools
Also built in Cotswold stone, the owners’ home is a listed building and surrounded by wild countryside. As the pool is visible from the house and terrace, they wanted an eye-catching design that not only complemented the landscape but was also easy to maintain.
“When building a natural pool, is vitally important that the equipment installed is of the highest quality and performance to ensure perfect results,” Tim explains. “And for this reason, I have only used and installed Waterco pumps and filters for a number of years.”
Waterco supplied a range of equipment, including two Exotuf 30” Waterco Bead Filters, which are far superior mechanically and biologically to anything else on the market, and two Aquamite pumps to draw water through the reparation area pipework.
Tim and his team decided to install double the filtration they would normally use on a pool of this size. The main system has Waterco’s award winning MultiCyclone, the brilliant centrifugal filters and bead filters.
“As there are no skimmers or surface draw off, which the client didn’t want for aesthetic reasons, two circulation systems run in parallel to keep the water pristine,” Tim explains.
“The main system has Waterco’s MultiCyclone Centrifugal Filters and bead filters,” he continues. “A second system has two 0.75hp Aquamite pumps drawing on the reed bed and returning clean water to the pool. This additional system is sufficient to keep it ticking over during the winter period.”
Water clarity and purity was very important, so Tim and his team decided to install double the filtration they would normally use on a pool of this size (approximately 180m3 in total volume with a maximum depth of 2.4m).
Conclusion: Idyllic swimming oasis filtered by nature and Waterco
Completed in August 2017, the swimming pond has settled into the landscape, becoming a focal point for the owners and a thriving oasis for microorganisms, plants and insects that all form part of the local ecosystem.
“It is always a delight to work with Tim as his pools are of the highest standard and this latest design is no exception,” says Tony. “He is a professional in every way and I look forward to the next pool build!”
The swimming pond has settled into the landscape, becoming a focal point for the owners and a thriving oasis for microorganisms, plants and insects that all form part of the local ecosystem.
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