I introduced myself to wild swimming in the summer months of 2013 when blistering temperatures day in day out threatened to bake the brains and the body longed to move without being swathed in sweat. Local outdoor pools, reaching temperatures of 30 degrees, were packed to busting and finding a peaceful outdoor swim became a challenge...until one day, picnicking by the river, I did what I would quite naturally have done 30 years ago and, to the astonishment of my son, my husband and our two dogs, I stripped off and swam out. Wow! To float looking up through the trees to the sky above where swallows sliced and dipped, looking to the bank where damsel flies flickered, impossibly iridescent, and down through the clear water to the granite shingle river bed below where miniature minnows and three inch baby rainbow trout nosed the current around my feet - what a feeling it was! And to have all of this to myself... it proved to be an addictive privilege. I have already staked out a 400 metre stretch half a mile up-river for this coming spring.
I can't wait.For some the experience of moving through open water is a necessity more than a choice and short, medium and long distance swimming events are entered, planned for, training sessions are scheduled and memorable swimming experiences are added to an impressive H20 portfolio. Open water swimming for these folk is in the blood and bodies and minds are honed for the next swim meet or challenge. You've only got to read a copy of H20 Magazine to appreciate the test, challenge and opportunity to defy current, distance and temperature that open water events offer.
For others wild swimming means something
a little less intense. It means a morning swim, taken in the stolen hours of early light to invigorate the day ahead; it means submersion in cold, refreshing water as respite from the heat of the day; it means a private moment with nature as the sun sets and the natural world changes rhythms from light to dark; for some it means exploring the underwater world of lakes and rivers (masks and snorkels can reveal astonishing beauty and fascination). These wild swimming experiences provide a break from the norm, a relaxing, leveling experience which provides fulfillment, brings us closer to nature and closer to the nature of ourselves, something to look forward to and memories to cherish. Be it in a deep river pool, following the flow of a moving river, in a spring-fed quarry or a lake, building a wild swim or two into your holiday (or holinight!) can be the cherry on the cake of memories.
Now, those of us who camp and caravan have already acknowledged that being outdoors, throwing open the door of the motorhome or unzipping our tent onto fresh air and whatever the weather has decided to serve up for us that day, makes us feel
happy. So, our
Wild Swimming Camping should help you go that one step further. On our pages your will find campsites near wild swimming coolspots (
sorry) throughout the UK.
You might, en route to your camping holiday in Cornwall, decide to stop off a night on Bodmin Moor - worth doing in its own right, as this expanse of wilderness is truly beautiful. Wild swimming at Goldiggins Quarry, a spring fed pool, bordered by wild flower banks in summer, will help you throw off stress and embrace open-hearted fun to get your holiday underway.
Goldiggins quarry, Bodmin Moor, CornwallIf you want to do more than one wild swim during your camping holiday then look no further:
Lower Ddwli Falls, Waterfall Woods, Brecon Beacons A visit to this area of the Brecon Beacons, recognised by travellers all over the world as an outstanding area for exploration and discovery, where the Rivers Mellte, Hepste and Nedd Fechan converge, could provide weeks of wild swimming experiences for both families looking for days spent on the river bank and for those looking for more solitary wild swims.
Or perhaps you'd like to experience for yourself the favourite open water swimming river of Roger Deakin, forefather or the wild swimming movement?
River Waveney, Bungay, Suffolk Here there are leisurely river dips to be had, or a more challenging 2 mile loop around Outney common. You'll probably be sharing your swim with an otter or two; if you're patient and very quiet you might see one at dusk.
