Wild Swimming Spots in the UK

Derwent Water, near Keswick in Cumbria, offers gentle shingle shores that suit first-timers, with views across the water to Skiddaw. Water temperatures sit between 12 and 18°C from June to September, and there's a lakeside car park (CA12 5DJ) a short walk from the shore. The lake is largely owned and managed by the National Trust, and a passenger launch circles its shore, so you can swim a short stretch and hop between bays without a long walk between them.

Its islands, including Derwent Isle and St Herbert's Island, are popular points for swimmers to judge distance and direction.

Public Transport: Train to Penrith, then Stagecoach 554.

Wastwater, in the Wasdale Valley, is England's deepest lake at 258 feet, ringed by dramatic scree slopes that tumble straight into the water. Visit in July or August for the mildest conditions, since the lake stays cold even in summer and there's no public transport, so plan to drive in.

The lake was famously voted Britain's favourite view in a national poll, and it sits at the foot of Scafell Pike, so many swimmers combine a dip here with a walk up England's highest peak. Depth increases quickly from the shore, which makes it a spot best suited to confident swimmers rather than complete beginners.

Styhead Tarn, tucked above Borrowdale, sits at around 1,500 feet and rewards a one-hour walk from Seathwaite Farm with a swim among trout and total silence. Late spring through early autumn gives you the best chance of a calm, midge-free dip.

The tarn sits right beside Sty Head Pass, a route used for centuries by shepherds and climbers heading towards Scafell Pike and Great Gable, so you'll often share the water with walkers taking a break from the fells. Because it's fed by rain and mountain runoff rather than a river, water levels and clarity can change noticeably after a wet spell.

River Dart at Dartmeet in Devon runs through oak-lined gorges, with deep pools near Hexworthy Bridge that are perfect for a proper summer dip. The river runs fastest after rain, so check levels before you jump in, and always swim with the current rather than against it.

Dartmeet marks the point where the East Dart and West Dart rivers join, and the water here runs peat-brown from the moorland above, which is completely natural and not a sign of poor quality. The surrounding oak woodland is part of Dartmoor National Park, home to some of the oldest high-altitude woodland in England.

Porthcurno Beach, near Land's End in Cornwall, hides a turquoise tidal pool right beside the open-air Minack Theatre. Visit between May and September, when the tide and weather line up for calmer swimming, and follow the coastal path from Treen for the best approach.

The beach's fine white sand comes from crushed shell fragments rather than quartz, which is part of why the water here looks almost Caribbean on a sunny day. Porthcurno was also once the landing point for major transatlantic telegraph cables, and the small museum nearby tells that story for anyone taking a break between swims.

Llyn Dinas, in the Nant Gwynant valley of Snowdonia, sits beneath Snowdon's peaks with glassy, still water that mirrors the mountains on a calm day. Park at Craflwyn Hall and expect the best conditions from May to September. The lake takes its name from a nearby Iron Age hillfort, Dinas Emrys, said in Welsh legend to be the resting place of a red and a white dragon.

A path from Craflwyn follows the shoreline through National Trust woodland, making this one of the easier Snowdonia swims to reach on foot.

River Wye, near Tintern by Chepstow, has secluded pools and the odd rope swing tucked along its banks, reachable with a short walk from Chepstow train station. Summer months bring the warmest water and the gentlest flow. At 134 miles, the Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK, and this stretch runs through the Wye Valley, an area recognised for its landscape since the 18th century when it drew early tourists in search of dramatic scenery.

The ruins of Tintern Abbey sit right on the riverbank, giving this swim one of the more striking backdrops in Wales.

Loch Lomond, in the Trossachs National Park, has sheltered bays such as Milarrochy that make for a calmer swim than the open loch. Reach it by train to Balloch, then a short drive or walk to the shore. It's the largest loch in Great Britain by surface area, dotted with more than 30 islands, and the West Highland Way footpath runs along much of its eastern shore for anyone keen to combine a swim with a walk.

Weather can shift quickly here, so a still morning swim often gives calmer water than an afternoon session once the wind picks up.

Loch Morlich, near Aviemore in the Cairngorms, has sandy beaches and water calm enough for paddleboarding as well as swimming, with a regular bus service from Aviemore to Glenmore. June to August brings the warmest water of the year, though "warm" is relative this far north.

Sitting inside the Cairngorms National Park at around 1,000 feet, the loch is ringed by the Glenmore Forest Park, one of the largest remaining areas of native Caledonian pine forest in Scotland. Its sandy shoreline is unusual for an inland Scottish loch, formed by glacial deposits left behind at the end of the last ice age.

River Cam at Grantchester, just outside Cambridge, is shallow and slow-moving, which makes it a firm favourite with families and first-time wild swimmers alike. Park at Grantchester Meadows and expect a gentle current all summer long.

This stretch of river has a long swimming history, having drawn Cambridge students, poets and academics down from the city for over a century. The flat meadows either side make it easy to walk between different entry points along the bank until you find a spot that suits you.

Dovedale, in the Peak District, is famous for its stepping stones and deep, clear pools carved into limestone. Reach it by train to Derby, then a bus to Ashbourne, and aim for a weekday visit if you want the pools to yourself. The dale was a favourite spot of Izaak Walton, the 17th-century writer behind one of the earliest books on fishing, and the clear limestone water still supports trout today.

Dovedale is owned by the National Trust and sits at the southern end of the White Peak, where the underlying rock keeps the river noticeably clearer than the darker, peat-fed rivers further north.