In summer 2020, a Premier Polytunnels customer began work on a very exciting project.
Mr Clitheroe began the process of installing a natural swimming pool at his property, with the pool being covered by a
large polytunnel.
A natural pool works with nature to provide hygienic water for swimming. Plants and animals condition the water so there’s no need for chemical disinfectants, such as chlorine, or other pesticides.
Before taking the plunge, Mr Clitheroe gathered lots of information about natural pools from David at Organic Pools. On the
Organic Pools website they state that these pools are healthy for people and wildlife, with the water quality being so good that many pools are well within drinking water standards.
In the early stages of the project, Mr Clitheroe said: “It really is an unusual project. I’ve been researching this for years, but I’m the first to try it ‘indoors’, so it’s still a gamble. It wouldn’t be possible without the excellent services of so many people, Premier Polytunnels included, which is very much appreciated”.
Over the past two years, Mr Clitheroe has shared lots of pictures of the project on his facebook page, from the initial pool design drawings and the polytunnel arriving, digging the hole and building the polytunnel around it, building the pool’s blockwork and installing the liner, installing the sandbag retaining wall and bringing in the gravel, to watching the diverted rainwater fill the pool, installing decking and seeing the plants getting established.
In July 2022, having just got back from a swim, he said: “The water is about 24 degrees Celsius at the moment, but it’ll rise to about 28-29 degrees Celsius. Over winter it bottoms out at around 10 degrees Celsius.
“As for plants, at the back end – the jungle backdrop – I have passion flower, cucamelon, canna, rubber beans for foliage, an indoor jasmine, and several bananas. One banana has outgrown the tunnel and is folded over at the top!
“In the water it’s pretty bog standard, lilies, iris, etc, tropical oxygenators as the heat killed the native ones and, new this year, I’ve grown lotus from seed! It should get warm enough to flower.
“The polytunnel itself is usually around the 30 degrees Celsius mark if there’s any sun. If it’s breezy when we swim and shut the doors and vents, it’s 40 degrees Celsius – it’s like Center Parcs!”
With the decking finished and the plants having grown “huge”, Mr Clitheroe’s next job is to install a pirate themed beach bar.
Shocked by how popular his project was, Mr Clitheroe has had many people contact him for advice. To see lots of pictures of this fantastic project, from start to finish, take a look at our customer’s
facebook photo album here.
For more information about natural swimming pools, head over to the
Organic Pools website.