Is wild swimming still a thing? And if so where?

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Ok_Chipmunk_7066@reddit

When I was on all the dating apps 4 years ago every single single lady in their mid 30s was WAY too into wild swimming that and buying a tranny van and making it a crappy camper.

I got laid loads, but man they were boring midlife crisis personalities.

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Batteredsoss@reddit

I mean yeah people do it but there’s so much actual shit being pumped into rivers these days id rather not outside of a few very remote upland locations.

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Grime_Fandango_@reddit

There was actually more shit being pumped in rivers back in the old days. Just absolutely zero monitoring or regulation of it.

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Romeo_Jordan@reddit

Yep the water quality is much better now but there's just more press showing the negatives.

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This is not true; when I was a kid (90s) the Wye was crystal clear. It has been poisoned by runoff from chicken farms and the algal blooms are fucking up its biology. Fish are rare now and the river's condition is unfavourable and declining.

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Serious_Badger_4145@reddit

It straight up isn't. Not over the UK as a whole. There's certain places it's way better. The Thames for instance. But historical data doesnt lie. A lot of previously clean rivers are no longer

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Romeo_Jordan@reddit

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-water-environment-indicator-b3-supporting-evidence/state-of-the-water-environment-long-term-trends-in-river-quality-in-england

Compared to the 90s it has improved in a lot of places. The WFD chemical standards make river quality classification hard to pass.

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HatOfFlavour@reddit

It's the fishermen and supers who sit around counting the tampons and such that is flowing around them.

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Duementon@reddit

the water quality is certainly not better now with all the agrochemicals, medicine, sewage, forever chemicals etc

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Acceptable-Sentence@reddit

Depends when you are comparing to “now”

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CapableSong6874@reddit

And back in the old days.

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Romeo_Jordan@reddit

It is. The uwwt forced 7.6bn investment and rerouted many wastewater treatment plants and upgraded treatment. Many pesticides and heavy metals have been phased out.

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Duementon@reddit

the water is so polluted so frogs are turning into both genders, and it is affecting all life (things that cannot be discussed here)

this was unheard of before

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Romeo_Jordan@reddit

This is called imposex and when I was doing my PhD in marine ecotoxicology I was reading papers from the 70s on this. It's normally driven by temperature but can also be driven by e.g. contraceptive pills.

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butterypowered@reddit

Yeah I saw that and wondered if it’s a temperature thing more than a chemical thing. (Either way, not good.)

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SteamerTheBeemer@reddit

Weird man. Trans people exist, get over it.

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Aben_Zin@reddit

Was this an actual, “they’re turning the frogs gay”? Right here on AskUK?

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Jonathan5967@reddit

So completely wrong it's funny. Read some academic journals on the topic before regurgitating crap on Reddit.

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Cardabella@reddit

It was shit, then they were cleaned up, until the last decade or so when the water companies stopped even trying to keep them clean.

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Grime_Fandango_@reddit

This is incorrect I'm afraid. I work in the industry. It was never cleaned up - this is just a popular misconception. In the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s sewage was treated less than it is today and was released more regularly. There was never a time it was treated more regularly or to a higher standard than it is currently.

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Serious_Badger_4145@reddit

If you work in the industry you'll know it's not just human sewage. As for human sewage. There's more of it. Which makes a difference. But previous cleanups focused on industry agriculture and rubbish dumps contaminating water. Human sewage is just the one we've yet to resolve

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Serious_Badger_4145@reddit

Depends on where you live tbh. I live pretty rural and there were so much less people creating sewage back in the day I fully believe it was plenty dilute enough and that's why none of my family members got ill then 😂 they try to pull the whole 'it hasnt killed me yet' thing and I'm like. it's not really the same situation is it😂

Here agricultural run off is a big issue so pathogens in the water are a lot more enriched than they ever used to be. Fertilisers were being used back then but not as aggressively

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HatOfFlavour@reddit

I've had mates who were in the scouts tell us of a time up in Scotland they found a mountain stream and guzzled some water from it and praised how fresh and cold it was. A short walk upstream they found a rotting sheep drowned in it.

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MiddleAgeCool@reddit

It doesn't need to be remote: https://theriverstrust.org/sewage-map

This link shows all the sewage outlets in the UK. A sewage outlet doesn't mean raw sewage, it's treated so will be fine. The map and website comes in handy as it shows when raw sewage has been released, then you want to avoid being downstream.

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Green_Lychee8221@reddit

A proper Reddit response. Factually wrong and completely devoid of anything positive.

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Batteredsoss@reddit

Righto

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

I had a feeling this would be the case. Google only came up with poo warnings rather than suggestions lol. Unless I fancy a drive to the highlands anyway!

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VariousClassroom8056@reddit

Sort poo ratings low to high and go with that 😄

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JayL80@reddit

Not a sentence I thought I'd be reading today.

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PizzaBxyz@reddit

The UK's sewer network has a finite capacity but generally does a good job of keeping up in normal conditions and light rainfall.

During heavy rainfall the amount of excess water that comes into the network overwhelms it which is the cause for these 'spills'. The spills are essentially overflow pipes which lead to the natural environment and not water treatment works.

To stop this from happening the whole countries sewer network needs major investment and principally the separation of rain water and sewage so that in heavy rain the networks are not overcome.

You are best to avoid wild swimming (in or downstream of urban areas/villages etc) during or recently after heavy rainfall as this is when the spills happen.

During a warm dry periods, when you would want to swim, the pollution is much less likely. I would still avoid swimming downstream of any major wastewater treatment plants though.

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jordansrowles@reddit

You can check https://www.sewagemap.co.uk/ for current discharges (har har) near you

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Own_Organization_155@reddit

Will say that even in remote upland locations the risks tend to be dead animals in the water, know someone who went for a swim in snowdonia and seen a rotting sheep as he was getting out

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Batteredsoss@reddit

Yeah I’ve drunk a few times water that I’ve pulled from streams and come across dead sheep or whatever upstream.

Don’t trust water filters and use chlorine or boil it etc.

Nowhere is going to be risk free end of the day if you are wild swimming.

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jpdonelurkin@reddit

As someone who has fished all my life, the rivers are in a terrible state with less fish, less biodiversity & less healthy plant life. There is no way they were in a worse state 25 years ago. Seeing is believing.

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newtonbase@reddit

There's a lovely little river spot in Stony Stratford. I imagine that it is swarming with drunk, sunburned teenagers at this moment.

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baggister@reddit

People in London go swimming in ponds in parks, a couple of parks had microbes and parasites

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turbo_dude@reddit

That’s no way to describe the tofu eating Hampstead media wokerati elites!

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baggister@reddit

🤣😂 . Having said that, I eat Tofu sometimes, and Im sometimes wokerati!

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SoggyWotsits@reddit

I doubt many landowners would risk it now. If anything happened, there would be a lot of questions about public liability insurance and risk assessments.

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Groxy_@reddit

You had to pay to swim in a river? How English of you :/

Yeah I'll still go swimming in a lake or river if it's nice enough when I'm camping.

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

It had a lifeguard there for safety and was kept clean. Seems like an alright deal.

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Groxy_@reddit

Sure it wouldn't be a terrible deal for 2 quid either way. If they're making it a bit of an attraction fair enough.

It's just an odd thought to a Scot, I'd swim wherever I wanted.

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Opening-Tea-257@reddit

Where are you in the UK?

There are a couple of lakes in Shepperton that you can swim in that are nice.

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Serious_Badger_4145@reddit

Off topic but. They used to charge you??? That's insane 😂 Did you grow up Salisbury way or??? There's plenty of rivers down here you don't have to pay for 😂 its only half an hour away from the new forest

We'd just find a stream and jump in 😂 rope swings were usually left by the last person to do so

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fakelemming@reddit

Rivers have sewage and other things such as viles disease, just dont swallow more than a litre 🤣

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Serious_Badger_4145@reddit

It was until really recently here and tbh I'm not one to worry about contamination stuff but... straight up not worth it

https://www.sewagemap.co.uk/

I check this relatively often for my area. tbh i found because we have people campaigning about river pollution outside my house and i thought they were exaggerating 😂 they were not 😂😂😂 I'm the fool. Now i keep checking it mildly horrified 😂

I do let the kids in my family paddle in a very clear stream away from any water outakes but we soap and wash our feet and lower legs after and no paddling if you've got any wounds

But tbh i wouldn't think anyone not doing that was coddling 😂 I kind of weighed up the risk and figured it's good for them to be in touch with the stream. Didn't want them to miss out. As a kid we'd catch and release small fish in there and hunt for rocks and stuff in the summer. Seemed like it helped us develop healthily and stuff you know and didn't want them to miss out. Plus people fish there so I figure it can't be so bad when it's not rained in a while. but they aren't getting their faces near the water on my watch😂

People do still swim in the river in some places here but we've literally had our mp standing there on some days warning people not to after there have been illnesses linked to it

I feel like we need to stop the sewage dumping and letting cows in it and THEN start doing it again😂 a family member is very much 'we've always done it. They won't take this tradition from us' but I feel the way to keep the tradition going is to insist the river is kept clean and THEN swim. Not to make it seem like it's not so bad cause you got lucky and didn't get ill 😂

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box_twenty_two@reddit

This is unhelpful to you but for South Londoners, there’s a designated man-made wild (yes I’m aware of that contradiction) swimming pond at Beckenham Place Park. All the joy of swimming with ducks, but safely monitored and not full of (human) shit.

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IOnlyUpvoteBadPuns@reddit

Ran past their this morning... I'd bring a good book for the queue!

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box_twenty_two@reddit

Haha I’m pregnant and not risking it this year, but yes, it’s always a pretty long wait!

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Llotrog@reddit

People often swim in the River Monnow next to Skenfrith Castle

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EVRider81@reddit

There is a wild swimming culture,They go dipping in the sea,rivers, reservoirs and lakes...Source- SIL is a dipper..takes every opportunity to jump into some open water..there were some reports of algae blooms here last year (NI) which was a deterrent,so some places were ruled out.

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Negative-Associate38@reddit

Just don't google swimmers itch because it will put you off.

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

I wasn’t going to. Now I’m torn. Probably best to die ignorant 😂

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Negative-Associate38@reddit

Duck mites. Basically you look, and feel, like you have chicken pox. Rashes, blisters, and severe itching.

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Own_Organization_155@reddit

Maybe not entirely what you was looking for but these are all the lidos in the uk which are basically open air pools, I know a few places to swim in the north of uk but never really travel further south than stoke we northerners don’t like to venture across the divide 😂 https://allthelidos.co.uk/all-the-outdoor-swimming-pools-and-lidos-in-the-uk-the-complete-and-updated-list/

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

Omg I didn’t realise these were still a thing! I vaguely remember one in (I think?) Bristol from years ago. It was great fun. Thanks for this!

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edyth_@reddit

Have you been to Tisbury Lido?

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freckledotter@reddit

There's one in Portishead! There's also the fancy lido in Clifton.

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External-Praline-451@reddit

Just check the websites of them before you go. Many are book online only these days, to stop the big queues in the heat.

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notheOTHERboleyngirl@reddit

There's plenty of wild swimming around Dartmoor. And you mainly just pay for parking. It's more protected overall I think, so maybe look around your national trust sites for any swimming. Spitchwick is my favorite locally, you have some cliff diving with a deep section but also safe paddling areas for kiddos

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EUskeptik@reddit

I read recently that all, or almost all places where wild swimming was allowed are now the subject of orders relating to the water companies’ nasty habit of pouring untreated sewage into watercourses.

-##-

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ARobertNotABob@reddit

Not too far from Salisbury : https://cotswoldlakes.com/

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Electronic_Score4838@reddit

Take a look here - really useful resource. Map might be currently offline but usually a very helpful guide.

https://www.wildswimming.co.uk/wild-swim-map-uk/

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jolittletime@reddit

I live on the Thames west of London and tons of people wild swim here (as well as paddleboarding/ canoeing/ rowing/ kayaking)

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

I always thought the Thames was a big no for swimming. Shows how much I know lol.

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jolittletime@reddit

I mean i wouldnt but plenty of people do. This is about 40 miles upstream of London though!

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syfimelys2@reddit

Yes! I live in North Wales and I try to cram in as much wild swimming as I can. Lots of decent lakes and rivers here.

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DinosaursLayEggs@reddit

Do you have any recommendations? I used to go wild swimming a lot as a kid and really want to get back into it. Visited Llyn Padarn yesterday which was lovely

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Poo_Poo_La_Foo@reddit

"Wild Swimming" seems to be a term dubbed in recent years. My whole life it has just been "swimming". Growing up on Devon, you can just go onto the moors and jump in basically any river or stream and yer fine.

No poo concerns particularly, given that you don't have sewerage works tipping out that high, but there will be animal dung for sure. Probably don't drink it? 🤷🏼‍♀️

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girlwithapinkpack@reddit

Just this morning I saw there’s a beach on the Avon near Salisbury that just got bathing status. Worth a Google

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minadequate@reddit

Still a thing…. There is a decent list here: https://www.wildswimming.co.uk/wild-swim-map-uk/

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Competitive_Pen7192@reddit

I went a few years back to an open water artificial lake. It was built for Triathlon training.

Was literally called TriFarm.

No chance of sewage etc seeping in as it was completely cut off from the river system. Once you were in you didn't notice it was a completely artificial lake.

I'd assume there will be other similar facilities around the country. This one was in Essex.

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jizzyjugsjohnson@reddit

May as well just dunk your head in the bog after you’ve curled out a big brown trout for the same experience

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grokebomb@reddit

Yep absolutely. Near Nottinghan there's Spring Lakes. They publish their water testing results online and shut the whole site down if there's even a suspicion of toxic algae.

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WaltzFirm6336@reddit

Pool Bridge in York is absolutely brilliant and perfect for what you want. Old natural spring fed gravel pits that used to be fishing but converted to wild swimming.

Unfortunately it’s also incredibly busy (although they limit tickets to a safe max and have lots of staff on, if not a life guard) so it’s ‘wild’ without the peace on hot days!

I really hope it’s something that catches on though, the popularity of it show’s there’s a desire for it. As someone who can’t afford holidays these days, taking a term time mid week day off when it’s hot and heading there is like a one day holiday.

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han2electricboogaloo@reddit

Dorothea quarry. It might actually be the most beautiful place I've ever been and the historical quarries are now flooded with the cleanest water I've ever seen in person. As well as a perfect wild swimming spot, it has an entire abandoned mining town with mills and housing. I found a shoe that must have been about 100 years old, it had a completely smooth sole with nails tacked into the heel for grip. You could wild camp there for a weekend and not see everything it has to offer.

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Absentmined42@reddit

It’s not totally “wild swimming” but the Cotswold Lakes near Cirencester are lovely. You can swim at Lake 32 and 86, and the Cotswold Country Park. You do have to pay to though, but they do have water safety cover etc.

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

That sounds like a good idea! I’m glad people have mentioned on site safety though, I hadn’t thought of that when I posted. That’s pretty important!

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aliinthelamp@reddit

If 1.5 hours is not too far, the Quays wild swimming at Farnborough has great swimming facilities and you can hire equipment for paddle boarding . But it does mean A303 madness from Salisbury

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TinhatToyboy@reddit

If you are worried about water quality take a sample from your favoured swimming place and get it analysed. Your council may offer a scheme.

The Test is near you and wonderfully clean, Shallow however and legal access can be tricky.

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edyth_@reddit

Have a look at Farleigh and District Swiming Club. You can also swim ay Warleigh Weir but it does get VERY busy and parking can be tricky. We used to swim in the Wylye at Steeple Langford (opposite the entrance to Langford Lakes) but I haven't been there for a few years and access has been patchy from what I've heard due to people behaving badly but if you ask around locally you might get the latest info on that. You can get into the River at Bradford on Avon in the park near Bradford on Avon Boat Club and there's a shallow bit which is a popular paddling spot for families. I've been in the rivers all around the Salisbury area but those are the ones I can think of with established access.

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tileadhesive@reddit

Warleigh Weir could be lovely, but there are no toilet facilities so there's literally human shit in the bushes.

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edyth_@reddit

Oh no! There was no poo last time I went but I can definitely see it getting grim down there in a heatwave.

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

This is perfect thankyou! I have a friend in Farleigh maybe she’d let me use her drive and we can walk down lol. Now you’ve mentioned it I think I know where you mean. Thanks!!!

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edyth_@reddit

Just thought of another one - Old Harnham Mill.

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edyth_@reddit

No problem :) There's parking in the big field next to Farleigh swimming club so it'll probably be ok if you can't use your friend's drive. Warleigh can be really fun but there is basically no parking so you have to hope for a spot on the roadside.

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surfrider0007@reddit

It’s more of a thing than ever, I’ve been doing it since childhood, people used to think I was crazy, now you can’t park near any water!!

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BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit

Yes, I do it year round… no heatwave needed, but a wetsuit very often recommended!

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cdh79@reddit

Buy shares in United Utilities and you will cease to care about how polluted our water is. Source previous government policy (which current hasn't really addressed).

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PixieXV@reddit

There's a water filled quarry near us that people swim in and we used to swim in the reservoir as kids. Obviously neither is allowed but I don't think there's poo... I really hope there isn't poo

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

So we lived near a quarry and a reservoir as kids and my parents were so insanely strict that we stay well away from both so now I’m far too scared for either 😂. But yeah sounds like poo is just on everything now so who knows what’s safe lol.

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craigus17@reddit

Please don’t swim anywhere that doesn’t have RNLI Lifeguard coverage. Every year when the weather starts getting warmer you hear news reports of people drowning in rivers and lakes. Yes it’s nice to have a paddle, but it’s not worth risking yours or your children’s lives.

Plus if you go to a maintained beach/lido/pool you don’t have to worry so much about poo and broken glass.

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

Oh I’m not planning to just get in random river don’t worry. Far too scared of everything for that 😂. But you’re right to point it out thankyou.

We don’t live that close to the coast so was just hoping to find if there was anywhere more local and potentially less busy we could swim safely. Someone’s mentioned a proper spot in Somerset so I think we’ll try that as well as the lidos!

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indigomm@reddit

We had one on the Thames open just a few days ago.

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craigus17@reddit

I live in a Thames side town in Kent and I wouldn’t get in that water if you paid me

So be fair though the Richmond/Kingstone/etc side of the Thames get it before it’s flowed through central London and picked up all the poo and dead wales

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Candid-Bike-9165@reddit

I lived on a boat and would often skinny dip in the river

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scrotalsac69@reddit

Loads of places, most rivers will have swimmers in them now. If you have a local river or lakes do a search and chances are there will be a group.

Always worth going with some people who know the area as there can be hidden issues

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slippery-pineapple@reddit

"Wild Guide" series of books includes wild swimming suggestions, maybe pop to a local water stones and pick one up for your local area? I'm afraid our two don't cover you! Highly recommend them as a series anyway and they're not expensive

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Scratchy-cat@reddit

I think Nene park in Peterborough runs outdoor swimming each year, I'm not sure when it runs though unfortunately

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PsychologicalDish430@reddit

If you want to swim in shit the Wye valley has lots of wild swimming spots.

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Familiar_Swan_662@reddit

Where do you live? The New Forest is full if streams and rivers that you can go and swim in for free (although you now have to pay to park there, so not 100% cost free). Just bear in mind that at this time of the year, its absolutely packed in the more well known areas

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

Sorry I thought I’d put it in the post. Salisbury. Not that far from Stonehenge. It sounds like it might not be my most practical idea so we’re going to try lidos instead. Thankyou

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Familiar_Swan_662@reddit

No you did include it, i just didnt read the post properly, my bad. Salisbury isnt too far from the New Forest, id guess maybe 30-40 minutes drive the get to most of it, but if you can find places that are closer I totally get not wanting to do that drive, especially in this heat. Hope you find what youre looking for!

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

Ah no worries! It’s not far at all when the sun isn’t trying to melt you 😂. But maybe I need to just suck it up. It’s a shame they’ve put so much poo in the water we now have to hunt for somewhere safe. It’s such a lovely experience!

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MathematicianSea563@reddit

Yup, I live in north wales, wild swimmer’s paradise ;)

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

My rightmove hunts tend to cover Barmouth and surrounding. Maybe I need to think more north lol.

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Eyupmeduck1989@reddit

I’m in Sheffield and there’s a big wild swimming community out in the peaks. It’s not something you pay for (unless you go to a lido or designated site), mostly in rivers or reservoirs. I’m iffy about the rivers now what with the sewage problem, and unfortunately it is technically trespassing in the reservoirs so the water companies can get funny about it

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Plankton-Inevitable@reddit

Plymouth has some decent spots, especially in the sea. Might be a little far tho

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nightfire_83@reddit

Tarr steps is worth the journey as you can get in the river there, no poo guaranteed.

Google wild swimming Somerset, and there should be a Somerset live news article with safe locations. There's one near the Wells TV tower too

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

Thanks! I’m just so worried about poo tbh 😭😂

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destria@reddit

There's a few wild swimming sites designated near me but nearly all of them have been rated unsafe to swim in! People still do it but I probably wouldn't take my kids in (too much risk of them swallowing dysentry or something).

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

Completely fair. If it was just me I’d probably less worried but I’d rather not go at all if there’s a big risk my kid could get sick. Someone else mentioned lidos so I’m going to look into to that 😊.

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theorem_llama@reddit

The issue is poo.

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amboandy@reddit

Yes.

And

In the wild.

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starfishwantscoffee@reddit (OP)

I would never have thought of this. Thank you 🤌🏻

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FragileRunner@reddit

The nowca.org website lists many (but not all) safe swimming venues.

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wardyms@reddit

This is about an hour from Salisbury:

https://www.wasing.co.uk/meetings-and-events/rooms-and-spaces/lake-and-sauna/

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Chopsticks_Charlie@reddit

A lot of people I know swim in the river Chelmer but it's litro full of so much waste and shit I couldn't fathom.

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