Thanks a lot for your comment. So, in other words, wild swimming in Loch Ness is very dangerous! Sometimes it look very scary to me with mud rushing out from toes or some foreign objects, but you must have a nice and interesting experience while doing a wild swimming in Thames. Here are some more of our guides from our home country including popular iconic sights and lesser-known hidden gems. So it gets clean and pretty fairly quickly. Best wild swimming in the Thames in a large, protected pool. To travel via public transport to Port Meadow, take the train to Oxford Station. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations. After reading your post, I realised there are cleaner side and such amazing spots for a good swim. There are 27 Luton water parks to pick from. The Lynwood Café is the place to go for excellent coffee and fresh pastries. Moulsford is a relaxed wild swimming spot set beside a lovely meadow whose banks come right up to the edge of the river. The river is easily accessed via tracks through the grass that arrive at gentle shelving beaches. Set on 23 acres of water, with an urban cityscape backdrop, there are two open-water courses — a 400m loop and a 100m warm-up lane. There are few better places to spend the afternoon soaking up the rays, snacking on a picnic and cooling off in the river than Clifton Hampden. There are two ponds: the Great Pond, which is more popular, with its large sandy beach, and the Little Pond, which boasts plenty of its own picnic spots. Pre-book 60-minute swims for £8 via the ACTIO App, arrive early and change on the bank. The right for Freemen to graze their cattle on this meadow was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 and that right has been exercised ever since. Search for their Facebook group page below. Wow… Hurley Lock would be the place I’d go now, coz I have a toddler with me now. Minster Lovell is one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds with a ruined 15th-century manor house set beside the river. Then, with steely resolve, plucking up the courage to defy the numbing sensation in your limbs and dive into the bracing water. However, head a little further out and the water gradually deepens allowing for an excellent wild swim. The Grantchester Meadows, Cambridgeshire. Find the perfect places to go with your kids and get out on your next adventure! People. SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER BELOW FOR UPDATES ON THE 2021 SEASON. 9 – Have fun and take a picnic. Unfortunately, public transport is not an easy option. So much less crazy than the beach. Try one of these spots - just be sure to pack your wetsuit, because despite this glorious sunshine, water temperatures are still pretty chilly. A short drive from the setting of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, where Ratty went swimming with ducks while Mole was trying not to fall in. It’s not often you can go for a swim in a river that passes through a city, but you can here. Best wild swimming in the Thames for a quiet picnic by a charming village. The Southsea Cold Swim Club meets on Eastney Beach at 10am on a Sunday, if you want some friends to enjoy your wild swim with. Hurley Lock sits on an island in the middle of the Thames. I had forgotten that River Thames is a long river and of course there would be spots which are great for swimming. Buses to Lechlade run from Cirencester and Swindon. Great article -lovely spots, and I had no idea Buscot Weir existed! Including a wild swimming map for events, places, activities and meeting like minded explorers. Wild swimmers can post where they like or don't like swimming, and arrange swimming meet ups. Trees line the far bank with the odd house of the village poking between them. To travel on public transport, buses to Shillingford run from Oxford, Reading and Henley. For peace and quiet on a beautiful shady stretch of the river, Shillingford is an under-visited location and a hidden gem on the Thames. Live very close to the Thames in Windsor ( crazy busy, many boats,lots of tourists and Baths island gets left like a rubbish tip every single weekend ). We’ve developed this list of swimming spots after years of cumulative research. A popular swimming spot on warm summer’s days, thanks to the small grassy beach area and the pub next door, Hatchmere is a favoured wild swimming spot for those in the know. It is a popular, sociable site and also safe. Grassington Weir near Skipton This is a large grassy area of riverside common with two weirs and a waterfall, not far from Skipton. Dodging slippery rocks to experience the relief that comes from finding a nice flat gravel section that gives you time to plot your course into the water. This means you have to search for a spot without animal dung. Perched right on the river, it makes an ideal location to watch the sunset over a beautiful part of the Thames. These are just a few of our favourites. On a long sweep of the majestic River Derwent, this swim is all about Chatsworth House looming in … To travel via public transport, take the train to Goring & Streatley Station, walk over the bridge and turn right. The village is well worth looking around. Thanks very much. After a dip, enjoy a bottle of wine as the sun drifts behind the trees. 5 – Avoid swimming after very heavy rain as the river can swell, become dangerous and it will also be less clean. From Oxford, it’s a 30-minute walk along the Thames. It surprised us too. Each of them are in beautiful locations with a genuinely rural feel. The water is clean and pretty warm this time of year. Hurley Village Car Park is a 5-minute walk to the lock and can get extremely busy on summer days. The nearby Swindon Watersports has kayaks for hire. Just a 15-minute walk north of Shillingford Hotel, seven secluded picnic spots are nestled into the banks of the river. We’ve spent a lot of time exploring Britain, from rain-soaked outings in the Lake District to strolling historic centres. With such easy access from London, this is less of a rural idyll, so Shiplake is the type of wild swimming spot where you bring a group for a day of catching up in the sun. Here are 10 swims to kick off with At the end of a lane of posh houses, a lovely patch of grass opens out in front of a particularly wide stretch of the Thames. Find the perfect places to go with your kids and get out on your next adventure! No bookings required, swims cost £4 for adults and £2.40 for concessions. There’s many reasons you might want to find a beautiful swimming hole. Definitely worth a trip out of London on a hot summers day. If you like peace and quiet its definitely the place to head to. Much nicer than trying to get to the coast. Save this map by clicking on the start beside the title which will save it to your Google Maps account (if you are logged in). To help you find the best wild swimming spots on the Thames, we’ve marked each of the parking locations on the map. 4 – Be aware of the cold. Many of the locations listed in this guide have multiple good entry points, so just head in the general direction of the swim location and find something that works for you. However, a few minutes’ walk downstream, a small weir forms a reed-fringed pool just beyond it. It’s a great spot for a swim but it can get a bit busy, so try to pick a slightly quieter time of the week. Maps will be particularly helpful for our next sunny stint in the UK. You are welcome and thanks for your comment. Hope you get the chance to go next time you see your cousin. A bit of a community project, the locals have dredged it themselves – a task that, allegedly, took 8 years to complete to get it swim-ready. I visiualised swimming in the River Thames which is closer to the city of London and I was surprised and thought one was allowed swimming there. The best spot for young families is on the east bank just next to the Godstow Car Park where there are shallow beaches. At the end of a lane of posh houses, a lovely patch of grass opens out in front of a particularly wide stretch of the Thames. 2 – Never jump in unless your heart and body have already become acclimatised, you know what’s below the surface and have a plan on how to get out again. Should you not already have a membership, you’ll have to add this one to the bucket-list as the Serpentine Swimming Club is currently not accepting new admissions. You can swim for miles or simply take the odd dip. I have lived in the uk my whole life and never knew any of these places existed. An induction (£10) is required beforehand, book in on the link below. Such a quiet and peaceful part of the Thames. 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Did not realize there a lot of swimming spots but would love to visit as many as I could. As as of today (March 29), outdoor pools and open-water swimming facilities are allowed to reopen, hurrah! For older swimmers walk down the western bank for 15 to 20 minutes and find a spot on the bank in the shade of trees. Embrace the art of swimming wild whilst keeping warm for maximal cold water comfort. Based on the best-selling guide book ‘Wild Swimming’ by Daniel Start from Wild Things Publishing. Turn right on the Thames footpath and walk another 5 minutes to find a spot to jump in. This open river meadow is found down quiet lanes – just the place for family picnics. 3 – If you feel the current might be too strong for you, stay closer to the bank as the water is usually slower moving. I would be curious to know this history. Best places for wild swimming in the UK. Top Places to Swim with Dolphins in Florida: See reviews and photos of swimming with dolphins in Florida, United States on Tripadvisor. It could be under a waterfall, in a tree-lined creek or at a secluded beach. What a cool location to check out! Wild Swimming Italy uncovers the prettiest places to swim out in the open in Italy, with insider tips on waterside restaurants, where to pitch a tent and how to get to each swimming spot.. It’s a perfect spot for a picnic with the surrounding trees giving it a lovely secluded feel. These looks great for something to do to cool off on the hot summer days. Bar and toilets which is just a 10-minute walk from the station, walk 5 minutes to find a without. Swimming hole rural feel both invigorating and fortifying, wild swimming near the.... Them are in beautiful locations with a swim in the Thames good.! Many reasons you might want to: Wash off the bank into wild swimming near luton river Thames flows through Port Godstow. 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