Suzanna Cruickshank - Swimming Wild in the Lake District: The most beautiful wild swimming spots in the larger lakes

Otterbield Bay, Derwent Water

Is it safe? my dad on the subject of any swim; any lake. His idea of safe was tied with that of permission and common knowledge. He never said this about hills. There was always a guidebook to read and a map to follow for hills.

My dad was in the terminal stages of prostate cancer when the outline for this guidebook was conceived. As he became less able to climb hills, we took shorter, easier walks. I started to swim more. He would nervously watch from the waters edge, always more confident of my ability to drown than my ability to swim.

Like many a good idea, the idea to write this guidebook was dreamt up in a pub. Id just been for a hair-raising and ill-advised swim near a fast-flowing weir on a windy November afternoon. It was the most terrified I had ever been in the water, and indeed have been since. In the pub afterwards, Dad clearly troubled by the particular shade of white my face was when I returned to shore ruminated, There should be a book one that tells you where its safe to get in. And there wasnt, not a dedicated Lake District book anyway.

So the idea was born. Researching material for this book kept me sane as the demands of caring grew. The idea it would ever reach publication was fanciful, and after my dad passed away I threw myself into building my fledgling swim business and all the qualifications that entailed. Im proud that my fanciful idea has become a reality.

In the adventurous spirit of wild swimming, this is not an exhaustive guide to every single location around every single lake. You can swim anywhere in the Lake District where you are able to access the water without trespassing. Ordnance Survey maps are invaluable for planning swim adventures. But the mere existence of access does not mean you should swim. Whether it is safe depends on you, the swimmer, and conditions on the day. Remember, if an easily accessed section of lakeshore looks undesirable, a gem might be just round the corner.

I hope you will use this guidebook to explore the highlights of each lake and find your own favourite. Happy swimming!

Above and below in Buttermere Suzanna Cruickshank x

Wild swimming in the Lake District

Swimmers have migrated from natural waters to the confines of indoor lanes, and back again, for over 200 years. The fashion for taking the waters for ones wellbeing can be traced back to the seventeenth century when seaside dips were promoted as a cure for many ills, and the medicinal value of spring-fed spa bathing became popular. This trend virtually passed Cumbria by with only local populations travelling to Cumbrian seaside resorts. Even on the sunniest August day it must have been a tough sell to pass off the grey coastal waters as highly beneficial for health. Tourists were not flocking to the Lake District for the lakes in the nineteenth century, but for the hills. Contemplation of the mountain landscape was very much in vogue and, guidebook in hand, visitors would follow set itineraries across the Lake District to particular viewpoints.

Autumnal Grasmere Throwing shapes Suzanna Cruickshank

Undoubtedly people did swim in the lakes, or at least bathe, but little has been recorded. The British Long Distance Swimming Association was formed in 1956 and has had strong links to the Lake District since its inception. Its an unequivocally outdoor swimming association. Im grateful to their secretary, Vince, who was able to give me some interesting historical information including the earliest recorded swim in Windermere when Joseph Foster swam the entire length of the lake in 1911. Countless other records followed with efforts focused on Bassenthwaite Lake, Coniston Water, Derwent Water, Ullswater and Windermere.

I spoke to friends who grew up in Cumbria to find out about their swimming experiences as children. Schoolchildren in Keswick, Ambleside and Coniston during the 1970s and 1980s would have learned in a swimming pool, although xi lessons were also held in lakes in warmer months. For their parents generation, lessons were held in a lake. With no such things as wetsuits, they swam as quickly as they possibly could between the jetties until they were allowed to get out again.

Wast Water Getting ready for a swim Anita Nicholson Wild Crummock Water Carmen Norman

On Windermere, a swimming club was situated at Millerground and Rayrigg Meadow. The changing huts still stand there now. Windermere Bathing Pool was where countless local children learned to swim in pre- and post-World War II years. Once the indoor pool opened in nearby Troutbeck Bridge during the post-war boom, lake swimming popularity waned and was actively discouraged as swimmers flocked to the modern facilities. This matched the trend for the rest of the country with nearly 200 public pools being built between 1960 and 1970. Today, Keswick Leisure Pool and Askham Outdoor Swimming Pools are the only public pools within the Lake District National Park boundary. The swimming pool at Troutbeck Bridge fell into disrepair in the 1990s; it is now a membership-based health club.

When my interest in taking my short dips further was piqued, I went in search of information. The existing wild swimming guidebooks were undoubtedly well researched but the handful of Lake District locations they contained were ones I already knew. Internet searches turned up vague locations and repetitive descriptions. Joining a club seemed way above my skill set with training drills and the ominous tri in many club titles. So I set out to do it myself.

Ever since Thomas West published A Guide to the Lakes in 1778, countless others have published their take on the Lake District and what makes it so special. Now its my turn.

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Max and Grace take flight at Ashness Jetty, Derwent Water

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My love of the outdoors stems from many hours spent walking in the hills, enjoying the sheer simplicity of self-propelled progress over interesting terrain. Skills obtained in this area are transferable interpreting a map or weather forecast, for example. Going for a walk is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. Making the transition from fully clothed on a lakeshore to full submersion is quite different. Dipping your toes into wild water is a step into the unknown. It forces you to leave the reliable gravitational pull of dry land and put your faith into something intangible.