Wild Swimming Walks: 28 River, Lake and Seaside Days Out by Train from London (Wild Walks)

Product Information

Beginning with the lovely walk through the woods of Manesty Park towards Great Bay, take the time to explore the many bays here including Myrtle, Abbot’s, and Brandelhow Bay. The inviting view of Derwentwater is ever present during the walk and to swimmers the aerial view of its bays and islands below are fascinating. Upon descending the fellside, the serious task of exploring the bays and islands from the water can get underway. Thomas de Quincey, who was to become one of England’s best known Romantic authors, moved to Rydal to be closer to Wordsworth and his stimulus. De Quincey became friendly with Peggy Simpson, whose family owned Nab Cottage, and he married her and lived with her there from 1817. Unfortunately, thanks to his towering opium addiction and his associated debts they were forced to move out in 1833. Hartley Coleridge, the son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge moved into the cottage and remained there until his death in 1849. Mercifully, Dove Cottage, Rydal Mount and Nab Cottage have retained their original character and are very much worth visiting if only for an excuse to be close to the two most perfectly formed swimming lakes in the region: Grasmere and Rydal Water. Taken as a whole, the charming lake-filled vale and the handsome old homes of our most beloved poets and their attendant ghosts, compliment any exploration, by land or by water. The easyHotel Cardiffhas double rooms (with or without a window), accessible bedrooms and twin rooms. Found a short walk behind Cardiff Queen Street train station. Significantly, the budget hotel has en-suite bathrooms, heated rooms in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. WiFi is free; pay and display and multi-storey car parks are nearby. Dog friendly hotels in Cardiff In addition there will be a unique screening of ‘Where the Wild Things Swim’– a cinematic adventure of the ultimate wild swimming experiences at 15 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR on Monday 18th May, 7pm

There are also ‘Birketts’ and ‘Marilyns’ in the Lake District. Wainwright didn’t cover every peak in the Lake District. Birketts are based on the excellent guidebooks of local man Bill Birkett. There are 541 Birketts, many of which are also Wainwrights, they include all of the peaks within the boundary of the Lake District National Park that are over 1,000ft (305m). He says he has “pretty well done Cumbria to death” but has one swim he would like do – in the sea off a gravel bay near St Bees where, having paddled it in a kayak, he claims the water looks Mediterranean. The beach at Penarth is primarily pebbles. However, that doesn’t stop the wild swimmers who regularly get into the sea here. Dawn Stalkersis a local outdoor swimming community who encourages and motivates you to get in the sea just before the sun rises. They also offer many tips on what to bring when swimming wild and how to be safe.

Early Explorers

It is impossible for him to differentiate which came first in his own life – mountaineering or swimming. “When I’m in the water I’m always looking at the mountains thinking I’d like to be up there, and when I’m on a fell top I’m always scouting below for tarns and places to swim,” he admits. Thank you for reading and as always happy adventuring!If you have any questions about the destination please leave these in the comments below. One of the quietest pathways to Pen y Fan passes the glacial lake of Llyn Cwm Llwch. Making it a refreshing dip after a steady climb. It is easy to reach from the car park following the footpath along the stream and through fields in the direction of the peak. I’m no expert, but with an understanding of the past comes a certain amount of respect; if you live and love a place then you have respect for what’s gone before.”

Also, don’t be afraid of staying out of central Cardiff. Penarth, Barry, Caerphilly, Pontypridd, and Merthyr Tydfil are the surrounding areas connected by regular buses and trains. You can also plan with LastMinute.com. Stay at great hotels at a fraction of the price. Cottages and Houses Featuring secret lakes, river meadows and sandy seaside beaches, Wild Swimming Walks is rich with stories, photos and natural history. Complete with detailed directions, maps and practical inspiration, this book is perfect for families, walkers and swimmers alike. Abereiddy (SA62 6DT) is signed from the A487. Park at beach and follow coast path 300m north to lagoon. Do not jump from top tower at low tide. Bottom platform safe at all tides. 51.9379, -5.2087. There is also a freshwater quarry at Rosebush, SA66 7QX, 51.9359, -4.7959. It is always satisfying to include a visit to a castle on a walking route, even if it is something of a folly. Wray Castle was built in the Gothic Revival style in 1840 along with St Margaret’s Church, by retired Liverpool surgeon, Dr James Dawson, using his wife’s inheritance froma gin fortune. Apparently, she showed her contempt for it by refusing to live there, which is a shame because it has very good lake access and would have been perfect for her morning swim. A nine-and-a-half-mile walk, starting at Shepreth railway station, across stretches of East Anglian farmland, passing through several attractive villages, via Grantchester to Cambridge. Follow the signposted footpaths through Barrington, Harston, Haslingfield and then on towards Grantchester. The river Cam can then be followed all the way into Cambridge city centre, with the walk ending at the train station. You can swim in the river, which is clear and with a modest current. Expect crowds on the river in high summer, especially at weekends, and biting winds in late autumn and winter. The walk can also be combined with punting – the end of the route passes Scudamore’s boat station above the weir below Silver Street Bridge, the traditional location for hiring a punt to go to Grantchester. The river offers scope to do a long swim downstream from Grantchester all the way to Newnham. The Red Lion gastropub and the Orchard Tea Garden in Grantchester make good stops for refreshments.Have you been to the Lake District? If you want to do some hiking you could also go up highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike. Wild Swimming Walks leads you on 28 adventures into the beautiful countryside of southern England. Discover swimming meadows along the Thames, secret coves of the Sussex seashore and hidden islands of the Essex coast. All the walking routes are accessible by train and each comes with ideas for places to visit and refreshments along the route. Includes suggestions for longer weekends away as well. Along the shorelines of Grasmere and Rydal Water lie the Lakeland homes of Wordsworth and his family; Dove Cottage and Rydal Mount. Coleridge, Southey, de Quincey, John Keats, Walter Scott and Lord Byron were all drawn to the Lakes thanks to the defining work of Wordsworth, and his quietly influential sister Dorothy.

Don’t get too cold – summer is the best time to go wild swimming near me, but if you do go in winter, be prepared We are very excited to announce a series of ‘Wild Swimming Walks’ events to celebrate the launch of our new book

COMMUNITY

They say that anyone who sleeps in the shadow of Cadair Idris will awake a madman or a poet. Who knows if the same is true of Lyn Cau, the deep (so deep it is rumoured to be bottomless) lake that sits below the summit? Either way this storied place is an incredibly beautiful spot for a swim, and lovely for a wild camp followed by a morning dip. Cilgerran is signed off the A478 south of Cardigan. The riverside car park is down the dead-end lane. 52.0571, -4.6341 172. The downstream beach can be reached from SA43 2TB, 52.0698, -4.6381. The steep walk up through the pine trees is enhanced by the views of Helvellyn to the east and by the attractive falls and cascades of Dob Gill. Emerging from the dense woodland into the open space surrounding Harrop Tarn is always a pleasant surprise. Here, passionate wild swimmers Sophie Pierce and Matt Newbury share their favourite walks with a dip. Part of the best-selling Wild Swimming Walks series, this stunning guide features country walks that include wild waterfalls, secret lakes, river meadows and sandy seaside secret beaches. This walk is right on my home patch and when I was up on my roof repairing tiles last year I could just make out the summit of Latterbarrow through the trees.

The Buttermere fells are considered by many, including Wainwright, to be the most beautiful in the Lake District. The tarns and lakes here mirror that beauty and offer unsurpassed swimming opportunities.

History of the Land

Complete with photos and practical guidance, rich in local history and legend, this book will appeal to wild swimmers, family explorers, nature lovers and walkers alike. One cannot mention art in the Lake District and not include the talented John Ruskin (1819 – 1900). Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, as well as a gifted draughtsman and watercolourist. He looked to cause positive cultural and social change through his work and was considered to be an important example of a Victorian Sage (what we might now call an ‘influencer’). His detailed sketches and paintings can be seen at his former home of Brantwood on Coniston. Ruskin lived at Brantwood for the last 28 years of his life and died in the Lake District in 1900. Brantwood, as well as the Ruskin Museum in Coniston are well worth a visit not just to view his artistic work; they offer a glimpse of the Lake District as it once was and a hint at what it was to become. Over the past decade, the rivers in the UK have become cleaner than they’ve ever been due to the fantastic work agencies like The River Trust, and The Environmental Agency. It is a great time to embrace wild water swimming! I genuinely believe this is the best destination in the world for outdoor swimming in allowable water. We have hundreds of lakes, tarns and rivers not to mention waterfalls and pools and thankfully the National Park is very supportive.”