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| Swimmers and punts ’pirouette around each other’ in the River Cam |
Not so long ago, hot days lazing by a river pool or lake were as much a part of summer as bicycles and ice-creams. The best sections of rivers – those with a secluded sun trap, clear water, or a deep pool – sported rope swings hanging from trees and makeshift diving platforms.
If rumours of a scorching summer are true, we should be spoilt for opportunities to remake these sorts of discoveries.
This list of 10 great swims has been recommended by members of the Outdoor Swimming Society, a volunteer not-for-profit group that promotes swimming in Britain. To find more swims near you, all you need is a bit of common sense, a bit of research (visit the OSS website for safety and planning information) and a readiness to ask. You’ll be amazed who knows where to go. What are you waiting for? Jump in.
1 Rydal Water, Lake District, Cumbria
A warm, shallow swim in safe water alongside silvery fish. Lakes are nature’s backyard pools: safe, still bodies of water. “Rydal Water, the small lake that feeds into Windermere, is a little gem: I swim there whenever I’m passing,” says Great Swim organiser and OSS member Colin Hill.
“Although it’s close to the A591, you’re surrounded by trees, stone walls and moorland. It never feels too exposed, as it’s pretty shallow and not too wide, and there’s an island to swim around. The water smells woody and, depending on the season, you swim with shrubby trees, flotsam of pollen or hundreds of small silvery fish.”
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How to take the plunge
1 Don’t go alone
2 Don’t go drunk
3 Get out quickly if you’re unused to the cold
4 Check conditions on the day; be responsible for your own safety
2 Seven Sisters, South Downs, Sussex
Chalk cliffs, chalk sea beds and gulls swirling on thermals. On a sunny day, the chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters sparkle prettily, with gulls riding on thermals. But be careful – this is a big swim suited only to experienced and fit swimmers. OSS member Michael Worthington says: “Park at Birling Gap, walk over all the Sisters in wetsuits and get in at Cuckmere Haven.” Sun and cloud pass over chalk beds while the colour of the water flits from aquamarine to smoke. Inform coastguards before embarking on this swim and take a boat chaperone.
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3 Thurlestone Rock, Salcombe, Devon
Like swimming over a garden: kelp forests and a rock arch. “Swimming wild is a lot about giving people permission,” says Kari Furre, a Devon OSS member. “They don’t think they’re allowed to get in rivers or lakes or swim out to rocks. For a beginner’s adventure I take people round Thurlestone Rock. It’s a shallow, scenic swim with a destination – a rock arch about 500m off shore – and you feel you’re in a very special place when you get there. The arch is spectacular and the rocks underneath are covered in purple and green kelp forests. Take good goggles: it’s like swimming over a garden.”
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4 River Cam, Grantchester Meadows, Cambridgeshire
Lazy, hazy river swimming next to a picnic meadow. Wild swimming clears the mind and helps emotional balance, which may be why so many great thinkers – including Virginia Woolf and Wittgenstein – have spent time in the lazy, meandering Cam. “There are many points of entry where swimmers and punts pirouette around each other at Grantchester Meadows,” says OSS member Andrew Heather. “A great challenge is to swim the whole meadow, which takes about 40 minutes downstream at a steady pace. Swim early or late and there is plenty of wildlife to be seen, including heron, kingfishers, many fish and frogs.”
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5 Ullswater, Lake District, Cumbria
Clear, child-friendly lake with a sunbathing island. “A great place for families to enjoy the water,” says OSS member Peter Hayes. “The western half of the lake has numerous access points by A592, so you can easily take down rubber dinghies and picnics. There is a shallow pebbly cove that leads into a clean lake with fantastic views across mountains and a small island about a 15-minute swim from the shore. You can get out and sunbathe on the island and enjoy the view while warming up before heading back to the shore.”
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6 Fairlight Glen, near Hastings, East Sussex
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| Shallow pools are great for children |
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7 Bickleigh Bridge, River Plym, Dartmoor, Devon
A granite sand beach and eddies on a young moorland river. Moorland rivers offer some of the freshest swimming in the country, fed by rainwater, peat and minerals. “The Plym is well known to wild swimmers much further upstream at Cadover Bridge,” says OSS member Anna Morell. “This far downstream [at Bickleigh Bridge] there is usually a lot more water and this is one of the deeper pools on the Plym. It is regularly used by the local teenagers during the summer who seem to have a lot of fun here. This spot is easily recognised because of the high rock formation on each side. There is a great little access beach of soft granite sand.”
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NB If driving through Bickleigh village, go past the Royal Marines base and continue down the lane until you cross a small bridge, where you should be able to park. Take the path (not the cycle track) down to the river. The rock is about 80m downstream.
8 Bredwardine, River Wye, Herefordshire
Child-friendly shallows and a natural plunge pool. The Wye is one of the longest rivers in Britain, dotted with campsites and beaches where locals scramble down banks to get in. The current is sometimes strong, so you need to be sensible, but OSS swim coach Rob Popper recommends the bend near the bridge in Bredwardine. “It has a shallow area for kids to play in and a deeper area for swimming and boating. Local kids will often swim upstream to the bridge supports, jump in and generally whoop it up; the current can be strong, so it’s a great test of strength and endurance to be able to swim upstream.”
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Wild swimmer’s picnic
Take a flask of hot tea or coffee to warm up if necessary; a bar of chocolate or a banana is also a good idea
9 Dorchester on Thames, Oxfordshire
An initiation into wild swimming on the mighty Thames. The people you love don’t always love swimming, so many swimmers join the OSS to find an ally. Dorchester has spawned so many friendships it’s become an informal initiation process for the London-Oxford area. “It was my first dip in the river since I was a kid and I have a soft spot for everything about it,” says OSS member Adam Smith. “Park in the lay-by, leave your clothes at one of two exit points (go left to reach a sandy beach for the 2km swim, or left to the white bridge for the 1km swim) and then walk upstream and wade in near Day’s Lock.”
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10 Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay, Scotland
Sheltered swimming bay in the Scottish islands.The Scottish islands are a swimmer’s paradise, with seals, sea otters, crystal clear water and white sand beaches. “The beach and pier at Port Charlotte are among the best swimming places, as opposed to sea-bathing places, on this island of superb coastlines,” says OSS member Mike Merchant. “The beach is several hundred metres long. It has a small sandy crescent, several places where rocks will allow you a plunge, and inlets to explore at all states of the tide. The pier shelters a nice sandy-bottomed area from the prevailing wind. There aren’t often waves, and you’re right in the village for refreshments afterwards.”
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To find more swimming spots, see the online map at www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com. The OSS is free to join, and members will receive regional guides to the best summer swims
