Title:Couple Spend Two Years Creating Stunning Natural Swimming Pool In Their Garden
Rating:4
Tags:Pretty, DIY, Home
Filming Location:Gloucestershire
Country:United Kingdom
Graphic Content Categories:Brand Safe
Orientation:Square
Description:A couple spent two years building an incredible natural swimming pool in their back garden entirely on their own.
Caroline and Jon Edwards first got the idea for a natural pool after watching a DVD and decided to see if they could create their own. Not content with the stunning pool, they also created an outdoor sauna.
Natural swimming pools don't require any chemicals or chlorine, but are kept clean naturally with a special selection of plants.
Caroline said: "We got a bit sick of cutting the grass, the kids had left home and we like a bit of a challenge.
"Jon said he'd seen a DVD about a natural swimming pool and he wanted to give it a try. I didn't think he'd actually do it until one day he hired a digger and once he'd started, he couldn't really go back on that.
"It took two years and we did it all ourselves, we didn't get any help in because we didn't want to spend loads of money on it."
Now it's set up and established, the pool keeps itself clean and costs next to nothing to run and keep up.
Caroline explained: "All the way through, I was just thinking, 'how's it going to keep itself clean' because you don't use any chlorine, it's got nothing in it. It's got no chemicals in it.
"I kind of didn't think the process was going to work - that plants would keep it clean - but it has worked. It's taken two years for the plants to be established enough to do the job, but they clean the water, it's unbelievable. Its running costs are the same as a 60W light bulb.
"I mean it's freezing when the sun isn't out, but we kind of like that as well. Jon goes in it in the winter. We built a wood-fired sauna as well, so he does the cold/hot thing throughout the year. But it's been amazing."
Doing everything themselves meant that they were able to keep costs lower than if they had hired in the professionals.
"We've probably spent around £15,000 on it in total," Caroline said. "But that's been spread out across the years. We've got about 1,500 plants in there, because you have to have the right amount of plants in the right balance - that's what most of the money we spent on the project went on.
"People are generally surprised when they see it, because there's not many of them in the UK. When we have mates over for drinks or whatever, they can't believe it. It's incredible what he's done - I was the assistant, getting the red wine and helping a little bit, but he's done the majority of the work.
"It's been amazing in lockdown. It's been so hot here - it's gorgeous."
You can see more of Caroline and Jon's amazing pool on their Instagram account here.
