It's been nearly two months since Beckenham Place Park swimming lake opened for the first time and a lot has changed since then.

Many will remember the excitement that came with the opening, but also the near tragedy when a child had to be airlifted to hospital after being rescued from the lake.

This, combined with a few other factors, forced Lewisham Council to temporarily shut the lake to the public.

Once it re-opened though, the rules were a little different.

Here are the main things you need to know if you fancy going for a dip:

Entry to the lake

You will need a ticket to come into the lake area and it it is only open from 7am–6pm. And how much does a ticket cost? For an adult it is £3 and a child is £2. For a family of 3 kids and two adults it's a flat £10. People must also pay by credit or debit card as cash isn't an option.

But there are rules about who is allowed to swim. The council have said that you must be able to swim 25 metres and be over eight years old to use the open water swimming area and that paddling for under-8s is not currently available.

Rules for lake users

All under-16s must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times and that adult is responsible for their safety and behaviour.

Children aged 8–12 will be required to do a swim test before using the lake.

People in the main lake must be able to swim 25 metres. All lake users must wear the tow float provided to them at all times whilst in the lake, but no inflatables are allowed.

Fun facts

The lake was first dug in the 1700s. It is around 285 metres long by 48 metres wide and is 3.5 metres at its deepest level.

The water in the lake

The lake is filled and refreshed by three sources of water:

Natural run-off as it is located at a low point in the park, ground water harvested through a drainage system installed below the lake liner and water from the chalk aquifer under the park, which is accessed by a new 76 metre deep borehole.

The council also added that although the water in the lake may look green, that doesn't mean it is harmful.

"This is natural and does not necessarily mean that the quality is compromised," a message from the council read.

"It will be tested regularly. If tests show the water quality has dropped below acceptable levels for swimming, we will let you know.

And finally, dogs are not allowed in the main lake, although they can go in other bodies of water in the park.