Where Can I Go Wild Swimming?: Essential Guide for Swim
Find UK wild swimming spots in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the sea, plus the access rules and legal position you need to know before you dive in.
Where can you go wild swimming near you? How far will you have to travel to find water you are free to swim in? Our expert team share some great advice to get you in the water, and you'll find plenty more over on our swim hub.
Where to go wild swimming
- Can I wild swim near me?
- Is it illegal to swim in a reservoir in the UK?
- Which UK rivers can I swim in?
- Can I swim in a nature reserve?
- Top 10 spots for wild swimming
Finding wild swimming near you
You may have a local body of water and wondered if you can swim in it. Some spots, like rivers and reservoirs, are privately owned. So you'd be trespassing unless you get the landowner's permission first. Some could pose a threat to wildlife and some could be dangerous for you! But don't let that put you off.
We have some expert advice in this webinar hosted by Al Humphreys. Unlocking Adventure: Your guide to thrilling swims features OSS founder Kate Rew, Right to Roam co-director Nadia Shaikh and author of 1001 Outdoor swimming tips Calum Maclean.
Hunt out bits of blue on your OS map. Travel to your closest coast. Ask the wild swimming community. But most importantly? Just dip your toe in.
Swimming in UK reservoirs: the legal position
In Scotland, it’s perfectly legal to swim in reservoirs – and it has been since 2003. Dip away to your heart’s content! But in England and Wales, most reservoirs are privately owned by local water authorities. This means that swimming in them is technically trespassing. However, there are campaigns to change this. Like the Kinder Mass Swim Trespass where hundreds of swimmers swam together in Kinder Reservoir. In some areas, swimming in reservoirs is generally accepted if it’s done safely.
UK rivers suitable for swimming
In general, most UK rivers are safe and legal to swim in – but this isn’t the case everywhere. Water access is a complicated and hotly debated topic! Again, we recommend checking in with your local groups to see which rivers people are swimming in. Another tip is to look out for signage at the spot that's catching your eye.
Swimming in nature reserves
Nope – swimming in nature reserves poses a threat to the wildlife. It forces the wildlife to feed and rest elsewhere. Clambering in and out of the water will also damage riverbanks and tree roots, destroying nesting sites for threatened species. We strongly advise against swimming in nature reserves as it’s much easier for us to find somewhere to splash about than for the precious wildlife.
Wild swimming in the sea
Thankfully access to swimming in coastal areas is far less problematic. For inspiration we really must direct you towards Daniel Starts excellent guidebook Wild Swimming: Hidden Beaches.
Wild swimming in the Lake District
The Lake District is well set up for wild swimming whether your preference is for rivers, lakes or sea. A great place to start is Suzanna Cruickshanks book Swimming Wild in the Lake District. We also have regular swims in Derwentwater out of our store in Keswick. There is an active swimming community here, so pop into our Keswick store to get involved.
Top 10 spots for wild swimming
A little while ago, we asked you your favourite spots to swim in the UK. Here’s a roundup of 10 your responses:
- Pickmere Lake, Cheshire: “It’s a big open space to swim alongside swans and ducklings. Safe for my children to enjoy open water swimming too.”
- Llyn Idwal, Snowdnia: “A short mountain walk, stunning scenery and clean fresh cold water.”
- Croquet River, Northumberland: “Beautiful valley, lots of deep pools - quieter than anywhere in the Lakes
- Moray Coast, Highlands: “Little hidden gems and caves to explore, with sandy beaches and wide open spaces. if the weather isn't playing there are always the mountains to explore too.”
- Forty Foot, Dublin: "Great outdoor swimming community welcome for all types of swimmers or dippers!
- River Derwent at Froggatt bridge: “Lovely old bridge, clear waters and a sandy beach.”
- Waldringfield, Suffolk: “Great tidal flow in the estuary of the River Deben, close to parking and sandy bottom. fun to swim around the moored boats!”
- Buttermere, Lake District: “Beautiful water, clean and amazing surroundings!
- Swanpool beach, Cornwall: “It’s a sheltered location, beautiful clear water. There regular sea swimming groups and individuals every morning all year round who are friendly.”
- Diver’s Cove, Surrey: ”Clear blue water and safe for beginners.”
Further Reading
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