Join the Kenwood Ladies’ Pond Association on their favourite countryside walks across southern and eastern England. These wild swimming walks – all accessible by train – lead to secret lakes, river meadows and sandy seaside beaches. 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). Written guides to the Lake District fells are many and varied. The first, and one of the best, was Guide to the Lakes written by Wordsworth himself in 1810. The guide was initially published anonymously, was then updated and expanded over a number of editions until the sought after 1835 fifth edition was published. Guide to the Lakes is typical Wordsworth and, already recognised as a place of beauty, drew the great and the good to the Lakes in increasing numbers. Dartmoor and South Devon are renowned for their natural beauty and stunning landscapes. Each year Dartmoor receives 2.4 million visitors, from all over the UK. It is the unofficial UK capital of wild swimming, and home to the Dart 10k, one of the UK’s fastest growing outdoor swims. 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.

Too many people visiting a place can affect its character, and I have a responsibility to protect the special places. What I object to most is people asking, ‘where are all the best places?’. I’m very hesitant to give spots away; some of them have been hard won. Some have been shown to me by locals who would be horrified if I took a group there. But anyone with a sense of adventure and a map could find them, it just takes a bit of effort.” 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 slate quarry has stunning views out over the estuary and Cardigan Bay and has become one of the most famous swims in the country. There are several relics, including tramways and an old iron winding-wheel, but the main attraction is a very deep, green-blue rectangular pool. It is entered by a short railway tunnel that opens out into a great quarry amphitheatre. Don’t be tempted to follow the local lads, who like to jump from the cliffs above – terrifying! 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 Rich with stories, photos and natural history, this book will appeal to wild swimmers, nature lovers and ramblers.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. 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. Derwent water offers one of the largest wild swimming spots in the Peak District, with practically the whole lake to choose from if you follow the footpath round! Please be wary though that it is also a popular lake for other water activities and so its best to wear something bright, so you are easily spotted or consider taking a float with you. Other recommended blog posts Car Park:Postcode SA19 9UN. There are only 15 or so car parking spaces, so early arrival is advised, especially on weekends and bank holidays.

The River Monnow forms a vast pool outside the ruined walls of the 13th Century Skenfrith Castle. As the waters are calm, you may spot wild swimmers and families with inflatables splashing about or jumping off the rope swing.

OUTDOOR SWIMMER

I’m a commercial operation,” he says, “but there’s no way I would have written the book if these places weren’t already in the public domain; they are classic, established walks. Daniel Start, author of the new Wild Guide to Wales, shares his all-time favourite wild swims of Wales.. A popular spot for Brecon Beacons wild swimming is Llyn y Fan Fach. The picturesque Brecon Beacons National Park often steals hearts with its scenic surroundings, breathtaking views and incredible wildlife. You can enjoy a wild swim in the lake after an easy 4-mile walk. miles north of Tregaron leave B4343 at Ffair-Rhos, turning by Teifi Inn for SY25 6BW. Continue 3¾ miles, climbing high into the hills. 52.2912, -3.7738

Be careful of children – children can also wild swim, but they must wear a good quality buoyancy aid The Lake Poets all lived in the Lakes and were considered to be part of the Romantic Movement, which they went on to define in their own individual way. The core of the group comprised William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey (1774 – 1843), who in turn were connected with other notable poets and authors of the time including Dorothy Wordsworth (1771 – 1855), Hartley Coleridge (1796 – 1849), Thomas de Quincey (1785 – 1859), Charles Lamb (1775 – 1834) and his sister Mary Lamb (1764 – 1847). Wild swimming has grown in popularity over the last few years, yet many wild swimming spots remain unknown. What is a wild swim? Essentially it is swimming outdoors in natural spaces. Cold water swimming activates endorphins, the chemical in our brain that makes us feel good. As well as being great exercise, many cite it has improved their mental health. Outdoor Swimming Wales

28 lake, river and beach days out

The Guide is multi-faceted. It is a guide, but it is also a prose-poem about light, shapes and textures, about movement and stillness … What holds this diversity together is the voice of complete authority, compounded from experience, intense observation, thought and love.” 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. 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. This walk starts (and finishes) in the historic port of Charlestown, and takes in glorious countryside as well as three beaches. If you’re a confident swimmer, you can swim the final part of the walk, either carrying your stuff in a drybag-towfloat, or getting your friends to carry your things on shore. 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!

Get lost in the magical woodland that surrounds this swimming spot before taking a dip in the water! Here the gorge is surrounded by ancient woodlands and wildlife making it an exceptional place for a dip or swim.The famous swimming ladies of London’s Hampstead ponds share their favourite walks with a dip. Leave the car at home this summer with 28 days out across southern and eastern England. Ten metres of rushing water cascade down into this idyllic deep forest pool. You may see locals jumping from the top of the falls but I definitely don’t recommend you try it yourself – just go for a splash about or swim under the waterfall. It’s a beautiful walk along the river and passing various plunge pools to reach Lady Falls, making it a dreamy wild swimming walk on a hot day. How to get there: Walk through the ruins of the castle in the village of Skenfrith in Monmouthshire to reach the river bank. 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. Stories of other old Lakeland characters abound too such as mountain guide and adventurer Millican Dalton who lived in a cave on Castle Crag for nearly 50 summers, and there is wild swimmers’ lexicon from ‘schwingmoor’ to ‘joffing’ – jumping off a crag or other ground into the water.