I have thrown myself from the window of a mill house into the River Avon. Negotiated my way down a series of icy pools into the hidden depths of Cumbria. Done heads-out breast stroke along a Yorkshire Dales canal. And snorkelled over swaying kelp forests off the Isles of Scilly. All in the name of an abiding love for wild swimming.
The UK has some of the finest swimming in the world. Yes, the water can be cold. Yes, the weather can put a dampener on things. But for sheer breadth of experience, it’s hard to beat these islands we call home when it comes to taking a soothing soak.
My own obsession grew out of a daily trip across London to the Hampstead Heath mixed bathing pond. I would swim the 80m from the jetty to the rope, tacking along that far line as coots broke free from the undergrowth and dogs barked loudly at me from the nearby causeway.
This everyday dip led me to the writing of Roger Deakin. A naturalist and true English eccentric, Deakin published his cult classic Waterlog in 1999. The book charts his own 'swimmer’s journey through Britain', a celebration of the then subversive activity of wild swimming. In it Deakin spends six months trailing across the UK, stealing swims in trout streams and powering out countless lengths in the moat around his Elizabethan farmhouse in Suffolk.
I was taken with Deakin’s anti-authoritarian spirit and joie de vivre. Deciding I needed to break out from the mixed pond, I vowed to try and swim in every lake, river, lido and bay that he had visited. He passed away in 2006, and in my own self-inflated way I very much saw this as my own tribute to him.
There was another big reason for my undertaking this long journey. The series of dips at Hampstead had become a salve for my anxiety, which at the time had become particularly acute. I discovered that the more I sought out cold, wild water, the calmer, more present I felt.
I set up a blog, Waterlog Reswum, and began ticking off Roger’s swims, one by one. I started with London’s lidos and ponds, from Tooting to Brockwell via Highgate, before branching out further afield. Without the ability to drive, I began relying on friends to get me to far off places, from the beaches at Holkham in north Norfolk to the bays of Cornwall. I took long train rides and rode local buses, yomping to riverbanks and pools for a short paddle. Anything to sate my appetite for a swim.
Along the way, my anxiety began to dissipate, my love of the water and how it flowed around showing me how to look after and improve my mental health. Writing about every swim was also a form of therapy, another obsession which turned from a blog into a book.
By the time I swam my last Waterlog dip, in Roger’s Suffolk moat, I had visited over 70 swimming holes around the UK. I’ve been lucky to swim all over the world, from plunge pools in a Costa Rican cloud forest to fast-moving tributaries in the Mekong Delta. But nothing compares to the dreamy, bucolic swims that I discovered on Deakin’s trail around the UK…
The best UK wild swims
Bryher, Isles of Scilly
You need patience to reach Bryher. It’s a two-and-a-half-hour ferry ride from Penzance to the nearby island of St Mary’s and from there another 15 minutes on a boat which swerves wildly to dodge the shallow sandbanks. But the bathing is nothing short of incredible. At just half a mile wide and with a path tracing its short coastline, there are ample opportunities for long swims. Great Popplestones Bay, with its sandy beach and sheltered waters, is idyllic.
parkerphotography / Alamy Stock Photo
Hampstead Mixed Pond, London
London’s Hampstead Heath is home to three bathing ponds. The men’s pond at Highgate, the ladies’ pond at Kenwood and the mixed pond on the western side of the vast park. The latter is only open from May until September, but offers the best wild swimming in the capital. The narrow banks can get clogged with sunbathers when the heat gets up, but dive in and you’ll soon find yourself in your own bubble, amazed that all of this can be found just 20 minutes from the centre of town.
Suzy Bennett / Alamy Stock Photo
Cowshide Beck, Yorkshire Dales
Nestled deep in a narrow valley near the village of Malham, Cowside Beck’s burbling stream at first looks unprepossessing for the intrepid wild swimmer. It’s rather narrow and shallow, despite being gin clear. But follow it down from the high road and out of the village, with Yew Cougar Scar opposite, and you’ll find a perfect pool slap bang in the middle of the stream. It riffles over mossy rocks and is deep enough for a proper swim against the nippy current.
Olimpio Fantuz/SIME
Llyn Cwm Bychan, Wales
The Rhinnogs, south of Snowdonia, are shaped by the water which crashes off the hills and into the rivers which lead to the Irish Sea. Llyn Cwm Bychan’s vast lake catches much of this watery run off and makes for the perfect lake for a long swim. The western end is shallow enough to wade out, with a grassy bed that means you can easily stand up if you get tired. The mountains that rear up from all angles are breathtaking and there’s a handy campsite for an overnight stop if you don’t feel like going back to civilisation right away.
Matt Gibson / Alamy Stock Photo
River Swincombe, Dartmoor
Dartmoor is blessed with some pretty magical swimming holes, but few can match this spot on the River Swincombe. Stepping stones provide easy access to the shallows, from where you can wade out into a deeper water, tinged bronze, but crystal clear. This river is home to trout and salmon and feels beautifully clean, especially when visited at the height of summer. Accessible only by foot or mountain bike, it’s definitely worth the effort.
Roger Atkin
Floating: A Life Regained is out now (Duckworth Overlook), priced at £14.99. ducknet.co.uk
