Lakes, rivers, reservoirs, the flooded quarry nobody talks about. Less crowded, often colder, and somehow even more smug to bring up at a dinner party. (We use smug lightly, don't be a hobby bore).
This is the inland version. The sea gets a small mention along the way, because it deserves one, but the bulk of this is lochs, llyns, dams and rivers, and the people who swim in them whatever the weather.
Why people keep doing this
Ask anyone who swims regularly in cold water why they keep going back and you'll get some version of the same answer. It clears something out. The evidence is starting to catch up with what swimmers have been saying for years.
A University of Portsmouth and Sussex Partnership NHS Trust study, the largest of its kind, is currently testing whether outdoor swimming can help treat depression, after earlier case studies showed real promise, including one woman who came off antidepressants entirely after taking up regular cold water swimming. A separate project in Surrey, the Wild Swim Project, tracked participants over six months and found life satisfaction up 25%, happiness up 20%, and anxiety down 18% among people who kept swimming regularly.
"Nobody's claiming it's a cure for anything. But something genuinely seems to happen when you get into cold water regularly outdoors. Most swimmers will tell you it's the cold, the routine, the company, and simply being outside. All four."
Wim Hof, and the people who followed him
If you've heard of one cold water evangelist, it's probably Wim Hof. The Dutchman built a method around breathing exercises and deliberate cold exposure, set a string of Guinness World Records doing things like swimming under ice and climbing Everest in shorts, and turned what used to be a slightly eccentric hobby into a global wellness movement.
You don't need the breathing method or the app to get something out of this. The cold does most of the work on its own.
His followers list reads like a randomly shuffled deck of celebrities and athletes: Joe Wicks, (The now disgraced) Russell Brand, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Ferriss, Joe Rogan. LeBron James and Michael Phelps have both built ice baths into their recovery routines, less for the mental side and more because cold water genuinely helps with inflammation and muscle recovery after serious physical exertion.
You don't need the breathing method, the app, or the world records to get something out of this. What Hof and the people who followed him really popularised wasn't a technique, it was permission. Permission to get uncomfortable on purpose, briefly, and see what happens.
A garden ice bath, a trough or barrel filled with cold water and a few bags of ice, will absolutely give you the physiological hit. Vasoconstriction doesn't care whether you're in a horse trough in Buckinghamshire or a lake in Snowdonia. But the bit that gets lost in a garden tub is everything else. The walk to get there. The weather doing whatever it's doing. Ground underfoot instead of tile. Other people, if you're swimming with someone, which you should be. If the goal is the full reset, not just the cold shock, the outdoor version is doing more. But for me, it's just as much about the community as everything else. That and seeing which swear words I manufacture when the water hits your, er, below bits.
Where to find it
You don't need to live near a coastline to do this properly. A few of the spots that keep coming up when people talk about inland swimming in the UK. This isn't an exhaustive list by any means. Just a flavour of some spots recommended regularly.
Hampstead Heath Ponds, London
Three lifeguarded bathing ponds in the middle of the city, open all year, including the depths of winter if you're brave enough. About as far from a remote wilderness swim as it gets, but proof that you don't need to leave the city to do this.
Gaddings Dam, West Yorkshire
A reservoir on the moors above Todmorden, often called the highest "beach" in England thanks to the small stretch of imported sand on one side. Panoramic views, properly cold water, and a walk up that means you've earned the swim by the time you get there.
Llyn Idwal, Snowdonia
A glacial lake below the Glyderau mountains, reached by a short, well-marked path. Clean, cold, and ringed by some of the most dramatic scenery in Wales. The Watkins Path Pools further south offer a similar deal for anyone heading up Snowdon itself, a string of clear mountain pools worth a dip on the way down.
Snowdonia. Clean, cold, and ringed by some of the most dramatic scenery in Wales.
The River Wharfe, Yorkshire Dales
Pools and slow stretches around Burnsall and Buckden, with sandy banks, the odd rope swing, and pubs within walking distance for afterwards. Good for beginners as it doesn't feel intimidating.
Kailpot Crag, Ullswater, Lake District
On the quieter eastern side of the lake, away from the road, with a rocky platform to jump from if you're feeling it and a small beach if you'd rather wade in. The Lake District has dozens of these. This one tends to stay quieter than most.
Tarr Steps, River Barle, Exmoor
A genuinely ancient stone bridge with clear pools either side, set in bluebell woodland. A Site of Special Scientific Interest, so tread lightly, but a properly lovely spot for a slow river swim.
Pickmere Lake, Cheshire
A large, open lake with easy access, popular with families and considered one of the gentler introductions to lake swimming if you're starting out.
A general rule for finding your own spot: search for your nearest Wildlife Trust nature reserve, ask in local outdoor swimming Facebook groups, or simply ask someone walking a dog near a body of water. They'll usually know.
And the sea, briefly
The coast still has its place. Swanpool Beach in Cornwall has a long-running, genuinely welcoming sea swimming community that meets daily, in all weather, all year. If the inland spots above don't appeal, or you just want the bigger horizon, that's where to start looking.
Obviously the appeal for the sea is that you can drive to it and pretty much walk in (this is tide and wave height dependent of course, then use your common sense. Look for Life Guarded beaches and really, really stay safe).
I swim as much as I can on the beaches here in Southbourne, with a personal record of 4 degrees in the water and -4 degrees out of it. The frost on the sand should've been a warning, but it was a beautiful bright crisp winter morning. I did spend the rest of the day hugging the radiator, but it was worth it.
Communities worth following
You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to start a group yourself either. Most of the country is already covered.
@thebluetits
The biggest of the lot. Started in Pembrokeshire in 2014, now well over 100,000 members across 150-plus local "flocks" worldwide. Free to join, no fees, no rules beyond turning up.
@theoutdoorswimmingsociety
The original. Founded in 2006, with a free worldwide swim map and a genuinely huge back catalogue of spots, advice and community listings.
@caldamac
Calum Maclean, BBC presenter and one of the Wild Swimming Brothers. A big national following built almost entirely on Scottish lochs, cold water, and a refreshing lack of self-importance about it.
@thedipadvisor
Ella Foote, Outdoor Swimmer magazine editor and qualified open water coach. One of the most credible voices in UK swim safety and guided swims.
@daughtersoftheseamag
A platform built around cold water women specifically, with contributors from all over the country.
Photo: Bluetit 5 Channel Team, training at Spring Valley Lakes
@chillswim_uk
Long distance open water swim events, including the Windermere end-to-end. More for the swimmers building up to something bigger.
@wonderfulwildwomen
Started in the Lake District, now followed nationally, with a focus on getting women into the outdoors for the first time.
@seabirds_swim
Salty Seabirds, the Brighton-based group behind Puffin Swim's tow floats, with well over a thousand members and a strong safety focus.
@stonecoldswimmers
Hampstead Ponds. London proof that you don't need a remote loch to make this a regular thing.
A quick, honest note: most of what makes this community work is genuinely local rather than national, hundreds of small groups run by volunteers at a single pond, dam or stretch of river. The accounts above are some of the bigger national names, but the best way to actually find people to swim with is still the Outdoor Swimming Society's UK group list, or a search for your nearest spot's name plus "swim group" on Facebook or Instagram.
The people who do this
We put a call out on Instagram asking inland swimmers to tell us why they do it. Here are a few of the people who got in touch.
Photo: @weekly_wildling
"Lots of secret wild swimming locations north of the border. I'm in Edinburgh, and no need to drive for hours to the Highlands either. Lots of options in the Lowlands. My current favourites are: 1. Avon Lagoon, Linlithgow. 2. Alva Glen, Alva. 3. Grey Mare's Tail & Loch Skeen, Moffat."
— Nadia, @weekly_wildling
"For me it was wanting to push myself out of my comfort zone. So I thought I'd try cold water. Hated it. Then slowly got used to it, and loved it."
"Set myself a challenge to dip every day in 2023, so I was on the look out for new places. Then in 2024 I had a challenge of 100 locations."
"The draw for me is the rush you get when it's cold, and I just love the places it's taken me, and the people I've met along the way."
"I'm an inland wild swimmer. Swim mainly in the river Avon, Bristol, but also occasionally the river Chew, and when I was younger, the mill ponds in Woodchester, Gloucestershire."
"I feel that being in these waters is a fundamental, if not animal, right we seem to have alienated ourselves from. So many of our towns and cities are built around rivers, we want the water."
"I've had many breathtaking moments with beautiful nature during these cooling dips that will stay with me forever."
"It does wonders for my mental health and brings me joy. I love the feeling of being immersed in nature, it is so calming and peaceful."
"I go in my local river, the Ouse, from spring to autumn, and a paid lake in winter."
"We'll swim anywhere that will have us, as we're training to swim the English Channel next summer. We can't rely on the sea to cooperate with kind tides and fair winds, never mind the sewage."
"We're lucky enough to have a beautiful spring fed lake to train at, and it's glorious there."
And a few more who got in touch with their own spots, in their own words.
"I've been wild swimming all my life. My favourites are in East Anglia, chalk streams. I'm so inspired by Roger Deakin that I go to places he wrote about in Waterlog. I'm a bit of a geek."
"My most frequented spot is my local River Stour, but my favourite is a hidden old mill pool tucked beneath a willow tree. Cold water, no crowds, a hot drink afterwards. I'm convinced life doesn't get much better."
"My first 'wild' swim was in Scales Tarn beneath Blencathra. My most memorable was the highest named loch in Scotland, beneath Braeriach, a skinny dip, all alone, very remote. I have never seen such crystal clear water in my life."
"Live near Blackpool but swim in the Lakes and Scotland, Harris, Cluer, even a secret dip at the bottom of my rented cottage. A little obsessed with tidal pools currently. The Lake District is a favourite, Cathedral Quarry, in Langdale."
"Now I live in North Wales, one of my favourite spots is Llynnau Mymbyr, next to Plas y Brenin. One of the warmest lakes as it's quite shallow, with amazing views of Yr Wyddfa. You can pop in for a drink to warm up afterwards too. Best of both worlds."
"I now plan holidays around wild swimming in Wales, Scotland and the north of England, and would love to hear people's recommendations."
"Lots of secret wild swimming locations north of the border. I'm in Edinburgh, no need to drive for hours to the Highlands either. My current favourites are Avon Lagoon, Linlithgow; Alva Glen, Alva; and Grey Mare's Tail & Loch Skeen, Moffat."
"Wild swimmer here. There's a spot on the River Ribble in Lancashire where all the wild swimmers in the know go, known as Marles Wood. There's one specific beach that's got the perfect conditions for a dip or swim. It's a little piece of heaven with a lovely walk down to it."
"Gives me freedom. Not relying on a specific window of tide time. Glass like waters that can be flat and calm one minute, you turn your back and all of a sudden the white horses are playing. Ripples. Nothing tingles the soul like watching ripples."
"I've always been a water baby, but had the wild swim bug since 2010, and have looked for the blue everywhere I go ever since. It is the BEST therapy and healthy addiction ever!"
And to put it all on a map: here's where the community above actually swims. This is far from an exhaustive list (as mentioned before), you're not far from a swimmable body of water just about everywhere in the UK.
Getting StartedRight, you're sold, and you know roughly where to go. Before you do, a few practicalities worth getting right early.
The mistakes almost everyone makes early on
Most of what goes wrong with new swimmers isn't dramatic, it's small and entirely avoidable.
- Staying in too long. The water doesn't feel that cold after a few minutes. That's not your body adjusting, that's your judgement going first. There's a rule that doesn't feel very scientific but it's mentioned a lot: stay in a minute for every degree the water temperature is. Easier to do if you have one of those rubber duck water thermometers.
- Going somewhere remote before you know your limits. Early on, swim somewhere you know, and somewhere you can find your own way out of.
- Not having warm clothes ready. The minutes after you get out matter more than the swim itself. I cannot stress this enough.
- Chasing the "extreme" version too soon. Nobody's first swim should be their hardest one.
- Underestimating how cold British water actually is. Even in August, a lake or river rarely gets past the high teens.
A few things only make sense once you've actually done it a few times. A heated car seat becomes one of the great unsung luxuries of modern living (which I don't have in my van so I have furry seat covers made my DryRobe). Every body of water you drive past, rivers, ponds, the suspiciously full puddle in a farmer's field, will start to look swimmable, whether it actually is or not. And getting changed afterwards, fingers that won't cooperate, that bloody zip, wind finding every gap in your towel, is very often the worst part of the whole experience. Worse than the cold water itself.
Know the risks, without the drama
Cold water swimming has risks, the same way climbing a hill or riding a bike does. Worth knowing, not worth being frightened of.
Cold water shock is the main one. Anything below 15°C counts as cold water, which in the UK is most of the year, including the height of summer in rivers and lakes. The shock causes an involuntary gasp, a spike in heart rate and blood pressure, and a loss of breathing control, usually in the first minute, which is always the hardest one. This is why you never jump or dive straight in. Wade in slowly, splash water on your neck and face first, and give your body a minute to adjust.
"Cold water shock is a normal response, not a sign something's wrong. Panic is what turns a normal reaction into a dangerous one."
If you do get into trouble, float, don't fight. The RNLI's "Float to Live" advice exists because the instinct to thrash and swim hard when you're struggling makes things worse, not better. Lean back, tilt your head so your ears are submerged, extend your arms and legs, and breathe. The initial shock passes within a minute.
Swim with someone, and know your exit. Currents in rivers and tidal stretches can pull harder than they look. Stay within your depth, and keep an eye on where you're getting out before you get in.
Warm up properly afterwards. Your body keeps cooling for a while after you get out, known as the "afterdrop." Dry off, get warm layers on quickly, and have a hot drink ready.
If in doubt, check with a GP first. Anyone with a heart condition or other health concerns should get advice before regular cold water swimming.
None of this is a reason not to do it. It's a reason to do it properly, the same way you'd check the weather before a hike rather than just not bothering with hikes.
What you actually need
You do not need four hundred pounds of gear to start. Most of what you need is probably already in the house.
- Swimwear, whatever you've already got
- A towel
- Warm layers for afterwards, this is the bit people skip and regret
- A bag to keep the wet stuff away from the dry stuff
- Something hot in a flask, ready before you even get in. In winter, I also keep some tepid water to pour over my feet before bunging on some thick socks.
Once you're properly hooked: water shoes, if you're swimming somewhere rocky underfoot. A change robe, which sounds like an unnecessary luxury item for dog walkers in Hampstead Heath until you've tried changing on an open riverbank in a force six. Summer you can use a basic towel changing robe but the winter needs an upgrade. The original was Dryrobe, but plenty of companies make them now, the market's opened up a lot since they started it. Our local one is Beachbum, based just along the coast in Dorset, so full disclosure, we're a little biased there. Neoprene gloves and socks, for whenever you decide three seasons of swimming wasn't quite enough and you want the fourth too.
The essentials, nothing more. Most of it's already in the house.
Where to start
Your first swim doesn't need to be extreme, and it shouldn't be.
- Pick somewhere calm and sheltered rather than dramatic
- Choose an easy entry point over a rocky scramble
- Start in the warmer months, build up to winter
- Swim with other people early on
Groups like the Bluetits Chill Swimmers have local chapters all over the country built entirely around exactly this, never swimming alone, always with somewhere to dry off and someone to laugh about it with afterwards.
Find your nearest spot this weekend. Wade in slowly. Give it the first minute. Then see if you don't immediately start looking for the next one.
The Quieter Field Notes go out on the first of every month. Each edition covers what's worth noticing outside that month. If this was useful, the newsletter contains monthly things to see and do. Sign up at quieter.life. You'll get 10% off our range as well.
