Golden beach an hour from London starred in famous film but is miles from the sea
Just a stone's throw from London lies an idyllic sandy beach that has featured on the big screen – but interestingly, it lies nowhere near the sea. It's easy to forget that you don't need to travel all the way to the coast to enjoy a brilliant beach day – especially as the weather continues to heat up. Instead, you can make your way to Frensham Great Pond in Surrey. The Green Flag award-winning site boasts excellent water quality and soft yellow sands.
Located between Farnham and Hindhead, Frensham Great Pond is just an hour and a half drive away from London. This makes it the perfect daytrip spot for anyone around the area.
While the pond is a popular spot for families during bouts of warm weather, there are times when the pond quiets down and you can enjoy a much more peaceful swim.
As reported by The Sun, one swimmer wrote on Facebook: "Cracking swim at the famous Frensham Ponds in Surrey. Had the whole place to ourselves, bliss!" Another described it as a "lovely place for a stroll.' They also said that the pond was 'ideal for families' going for a swim.
The pond is part of the larger Frensham Common, which is about a thousand acres, and which includes Frensham Little Pond. It is owned and managed by the National Trust and Waverley Borough Council.
Both ponds were built in the Middle Ages under the direction of the Bishop of Winchester William de Raleigh, in order to provide fish for his visits to Farnham Castle.
Frensham Little Pond was also used as a tank training ground during World War II, after it was drained. The pond was then acquired by Mr Atherton in 1949, who had it refilled, before giving it to the National Trust 1974.
It's also a hotspot for wildlife lovers. Frensham Common is one of only two sites in Surrey where you can find all six of the UK's native reptiles: the smooth snake, grass snake, adder, sand lizard, common lizard and the slow-worm.
Occasionally, Blue-Green Algae can be found during summer months. In this case, a sign will go up to warn swimmers about entering the pond.
Frensham Pond also has an extensive star-studded legacy. One of its most notable appearances was in the 1999 film, The Mummy, for a Nile scene.
The pond also stole the limelight in Snow White and the Huntsman when it was used to depict a fishing village. The cast included Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth.
It's also been used as a backdrop in several TV series, including the 1960s Carry On Jack. The popular series, The Witcher, starring Henry Caville, also includes Frensham. Meanwhile, Frensham Little Pond made an appearance in the Netflix series, Cursed. There, it was used to portray Nimue's home village.
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