Wild Swimming: 150 Hidden Dips in the Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls of Britain

There are very many things that I love about this book. So far I've had it a very short time and have already had an incredibly therapeutic swim, about 10 miles from where I have lived for over 20 years, which I had no idea was there. It was the most beautiful spot and the pub recommended in the book was such a find, being friendly, serving good beer and food, having a gorgeous wildflower garden and being over a thousand years old.

Having this book means I am much more likely to get out and swim in beautiful places, and not just paddle, worried about currents, debris and pond weed. So all those good intentions are finally coming good and I can entice friends along too. It's definitely going to be the basis of many UK holidays to come.

I'm also impressed that the directions are so concise yet so clear and straightforward to follow - rare for a guide book.

I can't recommend this book enough.

New ways to explore Britain by foot or cycle (6/6 people found this helpful)

This book has been reviewed on several outdoor forums and magazines and works well as a nice blend of clear reliable guidebook plus photo travelogue. It's aimed as much at the walker or family looking for an unusual summer outing and picnic, as it is for the 'swimmer'. For me it was a perfect timing as last year I decided to be free from all flying as the biggest and easiest way to reduce my carbon emissions.

The swim boxes are particularly useful as they contain 8 point grid references (good for walkers), postcodes (good for drivers) and very detailed walk-in directions in case you don't have a map (with timings and path difficulties). There's also water quality and whether the swim is a paddle, swim, dunk, dive and so forth, and what else to do if it's too cold, including nearest pubs and campsites.

About 250 places are grid referenced in all (150 with full box panels). There's coverage of interesting places like ancient baptism pools, river tubing canyons, clear chalk streams, places to find otters, catch crayfish, slide down rock pools or find famous locations like the Swallow and Amazons islands.

There's a enough in the adventure of finding and reading about each place to mean it doesn't matter if you don't swim.

All in all it seems very well put together.

Wild swimming - a must-have (0/0 people found this helpful)

Wild Swimming manages to be both a delightful coffee-table book that one can dip into on a cold winter evening, and also a practical and well-organised guide book. Daniel Start's stunning photographs and lively commentary will entice would-be swimmers to seek out his favourite spots, and the systematic information will enable them to find them. The book lists the key details for each site including the map reference, post code, water quality, a brief description of type of swim and how to get there. It's not just a book for hardened swimmers, Daniel doesn't forget the children suggesting good places to paddle and some innovative ideas for fun on the banks. It's a book for anyone who enjoys wild swimming - or who would like to try it.

what a great book! (0/0 people found this helpful)

I was really excited to discover this book. I am a keen swimmer and have always really enjoyed swimming outdoors. I wanted to explore 'wild swimming' but didn't know where to start. This book gave me lots of ideas and now I'm hooked! Highly recommmended!

Making Waves (0/0 people found this helpful)

I am considered to be rather keen to want to swim in any water I come across, in any weather. This book makes me realise that I am not alone, and that my passion even has a name - 'wild swimming'. It is a fantastically user friendly, and not to mention beautifully illustrated, guide to some of the best fresh-water swims around the UK. It is a delight to dip into or read from cover to cover and has given me tons of ideas about new places to jump into.

Go on - get the book, get on your bike and then get into that water. You know you want to!

Wild Swimming: 150 Hidden Dips in the Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls of Britain

Daniel Start

Reader Reviews:

Wild Swimming (0/0 people found this helpful)

New ways to explore Britain by foot or cycle (6/6 people found this helpful)

Wild swimming - a must-have (0/0 people found this helpful)

what a great book! (0/0 people found this helpful)

Making Waves (0/0 people found this helpful)

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