2019-09-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

DORSET

DurdleDooris oneof themost

famedandphotographed

sightsontheDorsetcoastline.

200 feethighand10,000

yearsold,thisrockarch

hasbeencarvedfromthe

limestonecliffsbythesea.

Fromoneangleit lookslikea

horsedrinking;fromanother,

a dragonrearingup.It also

lookslikea coolthingto kayak

or swimthrough– butcurrents

canbestrong,so takeextra

care,don’tswimalone,and

watchthetidetimescarefully.

LulworthCoveitselfis equally

appealing:a near-perfect

horseshoe,scatteredwith

whitepebblesandrockpools,

idealforexploringat lowtide.

FDurdleDooris partof the

privatelyownedLulworthEstate,

40 minutes’drivefromPoole.

Thereis a smallcarparknearby,

anda steeppathleadingdown

to the beach from the clifftops

There’snothinglikea dipoutdoors,especiallywhenit’sin anidyllicspot.

Here are five of England’s loveliest pools, ponds, rivers and coves to leap into

CUMBRIA

Eskdalehastwoof Cumbria’s

topspotsforwildswimming.

StanleyGhyllForcewas

favouredbytheVictorians,

butits gorgeousfalls,tumbling

20mintoa deeppool,are

notnearlyas popularnow

• whichmeansthebridge
  jumpsandropeswingswillbe
  allyours.Thewonderfully
  namedTonguePot,twomiles
  upriverfromthebottomof
  HardknottPass,is farbusier.
  Thislongcrystal-clearpool
  beneatha waterfallhas
  a pebblebeachononeside
  anda sheercliffontheother


• perfectforjumping,if you
  canhandlea 5mdrop.If you
  fancysomethinga littlemore
  relaxing,trytheshallower
  KailPotabovethewaterfall.
  FStanleyGhyllForceis half
  a milefromBeckfootStation;
  forTonguePot,parkbeyond
  the Woolpack Inn in Boot.

YORKSHIRE

TheRiverWharfeis oneof

Britain’sfinestforwild

swimming,withrockpools,

waterfalls,chutesandnatural

water-slides– andits epicentre

isthehandsomeGeorgian

villageof Grassington.Just

upstreamis Ghaistrill’sStrid,

a mini-gorgewithaninflatable

ring.Themostinvitingspotis

nearAppletreewick– a lovely

poolwitha rockyisland

beneaththetrees.There’s

entry-levelwildswimmingat

GrassingtonWeir,justsouthof

thevillage.Ona hotsummer’s

daytheriverbankmeadowwill

becrowdedwithpicnicking

familiessplashing,swimming

andridinginflatables.

FGrassingtonis eightmiles

northof Skipton.Thenational

parkvisitorcentreprovidesinfo

onparkingcloseto theriver

(outdoorswimmingsociety.com/

wild-swims-wharfedale).

LONDON

Mercifullyresistantto urban

sprawl,thevast,naturallywild

greenspaceof Hampstead

Heathis cherishedby

Londoners.Thisis wherethe

capitalcomesto letits hair

down,typicallyfollowedby

a pintat the16th-century

SpaniardsInnor theOldBull

& Bush.Once,thedomeof

St Paul’sdominatedtheview

fromParliamentHill,but

todayit is engulfedbyglass

towers– thatsaid,the

panoramais stillthebestin

London.Alsoupherearethe

HampsteadandHighgate

ponds,a collectionof pools

thatserveas wildlifereserves,

modelboatingpondsand

open-airswimmingpools

forthosewillingto brave

temperaturesthatcandip

as lowas 1°C.

FTaketheOvergroundto

HampsteadHeathor Gospel

Oak(£2;cityoflondon.gov.uk).

CORNWALL

If you’vealwayswantedto

finda fairyglade,hightailit

to thenorthCornishcoast,

detourto Tintagel,takethe

B3263to Trethevy,andlook

forsignsto St Nectan’sGlen.

Park,followthetrack,and

you’llfindanenchanted

glade:a 60ftcascadeframed

bytreesandivy,gushinginto

a deepkieve(plungepool).

It’sa mysticalspot,supposedly

frequentedbyCornishpiskies

(pixies),andlinkedto King

Arthur– you’llseeribbons

andofferingsdanglingfrom

thetrees.Thewater’sicy-cold,

butonlythesoftestof bathers

dona wetsuit.There’sa café,

anda walkwayleadsto two

othersmallwaterfallsnearby.

FTaketheB3263coastroad

fromTintageltowards

Boscastle,andheadforthecar

parkat Trethevy.Fromhere,

signs lead to the glen.

PHOTOGRAPH: RIVER THOMPSON

Swim wild