Wild Swimming: Hidden Dips in the Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls of Britain: 4 (Wild Swimming: 300 Hidden Dips in the Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls of Britain)

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Here is a literary account of the history and struggles of women who swim. Before the 1930s, very few women swam at all, until the ‘swimming suffragettes’ took to the water and forged a splash into pools and onto beaches. This book explores the author’s own love affair with water and swimming, along with the almost 100 year history of woman’s freedom to swim. Wonderful, eccentric book about ‘ swim hiking’ – walking over hills and swimming across lakes. He talks about the swimming version of the Bob Graham Round. Why are we drawn to the ocean each summer? Why does being near water set our minds and bodies at ease? In Blue Mind , Wallace J. Nichols revolutionizes how we think about these questions, revealing the remarkable truth about the benefits of being in, on, under, or simply near water. WSS Members can request to borrow from Maree Wish You Were Still Here – The Scottish Seaside Holiday A beautifully illustrated book which explores the traditions of cold-water swimming and dipping in Scandinavia and beyond. Dr Susanna provides detail of why Winter Swimming provides such a boost to both body and soul, through this shared experience in the outdoors and in nature. This wonderful outdoor activity can influence our happiness, our energy and our inner tranquility, and give us that winter glow.

Splash is a dive into the history of swimming. 10,000 years of swimming history to be precise. Howard Means begins this compelling narrative in the ancient world through to the modern day. Covering social, geographical, religious and architectural history, the book moves beyond swimming as a sport. It encapsulates how swimming has shaped our society and is a thorough exploration for those who love to get into the water. This is a memoir of alcoholism and recovery, Amy Liptrot left rehab in England and returned to recover in Orkney, where she was brought up. She joined a swimming group and found in the chilled waters of the North Sea as well as around the hills and islands of the Orkneys what she needed to truly recover. I loved the approach of this light-hearted and informative guide. There are some laugh out loud moments as Calum explores everything Wild Swimming, Outdoor Swimming and Cold Water. Dips and Chips is an illustrated guide to wild swimming across Central England. It has over 60 swims in it along with lots of useful advice about how to get started with wild swimming. What makes this book different is the beautiful illustrations of each swim with hand drawn pictures painted by Emma Jane O’Brien. We’ve been to and swam at every single swimming location so we know exactly what each swim is like and usually have a funny story to tell.

New from the publishers of Wild Swimming, the Wild Guide booktakes you on a voyage of discovery to the lesser-known corners of Britain’s favourite holiday region. Featuring over 500 ideas to help you plan the perfect escape, this is the ultimate local guide to river swimming, secret coves, ancient forests, sunset hill forts, lost ruins, canoe camping and other adventures: Buy the Book from our online shop From the dramatic turquoise bays of Orkney to the peaty lochs of the Cairngorms, the thundering waterfalls of Skye to the calm depths of a reservoir in the Pentlands. Locals who know the secrets of their patch share over 100 spectacular dookin’ spots across Scotland. Now they are yours to explore too. (Publisher’s Synopsis) As one of our key forms of leisure and mass entertainment, tourism was a major growth industry of the nineteenth century and this growth continued into the twentieth century. Starting in the golden age of the Victorian and Edwardian resorts, Eric Simpson explores the ways and means whereby the Scottish people were able to enjoy the benefits of seaside and other holidays, including how they travelled, the things they did and where they stayed. This book, therefore, is not just about the holidaymakers but embraces too the many people in the resorts who made their livelihood in the tourist industry. Sporting activities, for spectators no less than participants, were and still are very important, especially golf. So too was swimming and one of the extraordinary features of the early twentieth century was the craze for open-air seawater swimming pools in a country that is not renowned for great warmth. Many Scottish towns, both large and small, ran into debt to construct the open-air swimming ponds that once dotted the coastline. In the large resorts there were entertainments for the masses. But in the wee quiet places, holidaymakers had to find their own ways of spending their time with bathing, country walks and sports always popular. (Publisher’s Synopsis) A circuit of the Creddyn peninsula taking in the queen of Wales’s seaside resorts and the dolomite cliffs of the Great Orme. Llandudno isn’t the wildest swimming spot in the world, but the huge sand and shingle North Shore beach rarely feels overcrowded. Wilder, and even more scenic, is the West Shore beach with its dramatic mountain views.

A well presented and informative read. From the author of “The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs” this book is an essential piece of kit for the Open Water Swimmer. Tristan Gooley outlines his knowledge, observations and interpretations of water movement. He gives us direction and clues to develop the observational skills required to identify key signs in a variety of bodies of water. Examples from puddles, streams and lochs to rivers, estuaries and seas. He draws on historical navigational pioneers and his own observations and experiences merging these neatly into well structured and easy to read chapters, which can be read in isolation or enjoyed within the fullness of the book as a whole. Lynne Cox has swum the most gruelling and demanding long-distance swims in the world. The Channel crossings came early, then the Bering Strait, Straits of Magellan, Cape of Good Hope and Cook Strait in New Zealand. Her life story and those of her swims are gripping, culminating in her 24 minute Antarctic Swim. This book is about diving, rather than swimming. I’ve only done a bit of diving and perhaps that’s why this book was a bit lost on me, but others have raved about it. Pondlife: A Swimmer’s Journal by Al Alvarez By far and the most popular book on wild swimmer's bookshelves is Waterlog by Roger Deakin. Deakin set out in 1996 to swim through the British Isles. Waterlog is a personal journey, a bold assertion of the native swimmer's right to roam, and an unforgettable celebration of the magic of water.

WSS Members can request to borrow the 2008 version from Maree Books with “Wild Swimming” Reflections Taking The Plunge Charlotte Runcie explores what the sea means to us, and particularly what it has meant to women through the ages. In mesmerising prose, she explores how the sea has inspired, fascinated and terrified us, and how she herself fell in love with the deep blue. This is an account of the history and culture of swimming in Britain. I haven’t read it myself, but there is a review here. The Story of Swimming Using “Wild Swimming” to build confidence in open water swimming, ensuring good practice and introducing the health benefits of regular cold water immersion. What we offer at Wild Swim Scotland Firmly placed in the genre of swimming against adversity, this book tells how swimming off the coast of Ireland helped Ruth Fitzmaurice deal with the illness of her husband, who had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Together with fellow “Tragic Wives,” she swims all year, using the waves and the cold to combat her trauma.

Wild Swimming: 300 hidden dips in the rivers, lakes and waterfalls of Britain: We keep this in the car, and I think it’s the original and best of the series. The wild swimming movement is a little different here in America, where lots of people enjoy the rivers and lakes of this big crazy country. Up here in the Pacific Northwest, the hearty UK swimmer would feel right at home. Our waters are cold and the beer is bold. Snorkeling rivers is just wild swimming while looking down. Take a look, you may be surprised what lives in your favorite swimming hole! Reply An original in the watery journey genre, Waterlog is an account of the author’s 1996 attempt to swim his way through the British Isles. With the helpful eyes and ears of his naturist and documentary maker, his passion for rivers, sea, ponds, pools and lochs is brought to life. In many ways, Roger Deakin founded the wild swimming movement himself. He died in 2006, aged only 63. Victoria Whitworth details a year of daily swimming in the Orkneys, the islands north of Scotland. The writer is a novelist and historian, living through the breakup of her marriage. Her writing is vivid, her swims are intense, challenging. She leavens this with so many fascinating stories of life in Orkney, its history and people, and her own life changes.

And…?

This illustrated book about the social history of swimming was given a great review here. I’m looking forward to getting hold of a copy. This is a classic book about marathon swimming, written in the 1970s. The only copies I could find were very expensive – perhaps pressure is needed on the publishers to reprint it! Swim Speed Secrets The story of Captain Webb, the first person to swim across the Channel. A short but interesting read. Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox The Salt Pathis an honest and life-affirming true storyof coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world.Ultimately, it is a portrayal of home, and how it can be lost, rebuilt and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.” (Publisher’s Synopsis)