Daniel Start is an award-winning travel Wild Swimming: Coast provides all writer and photographer and the author the practical information you’ll need to WILD of Wild Swimming, the bestselling find and enjoy more than 350 magical guidebook to enjoying the summer and swims in some of the least-visited parts exploring the freshwater swimming holes Imagine a summer of swimming, of our stunning coastline. of Britain. As a boy he lived for several exploring by the sea and discovering swimming In this great British tour you’ll be able years in the far west of Cornwall and secret beaches and sandy coves, to swim with dolphins in Cornwall, dive has spent the last 10 years touring the smugglers’ caves and deep lagoons. through rock arches in Dorset, discover UK coastline, charting its secret coves, wild beaches in Essex and explore wild beaches and plunge pools. He also Britain’s beautiful coastline is studded deserted islands in Norfolk. You’ll also works as an environmental consultant. with hidden places to swim, snorkel and read ancient tales of smugglers, poets, sunbathe, and its waters are cleaner and Register at www.wildswimming.co.uk more accessible than ever before. To kings and pirates. to receive monthly updates on magical new celebrate, Daniel Start, author of bestselling WILD swimming locations across the UK and beyond. Whether you’re a water baby or an Wild Swimming, decided to seek out the Other titles from Punk Publishing: occasional dipper, there are ideas for jewels of Britain’s lesser-known shores – from COAST swimming Cool Camping: Europe the whole family. Go snorkelling, rock- Cool Camping: Kids rock arches, coves and sea caves to wild pooling or catch your own supper. Cool Camping: England beaches, dunes and lagoons. Illustrated with Build a beach kite, swim in midnight Cool Camping: France over 300 spectacular photos and 5 detailed phosphorescence or find a beach Cool Camping: Wales maps, this book opens up a magical new Cool Camping: Scotland pub with a roaring fire. If you don’t like The Cool Camping Guide to Festivals world of coastal exploration. driving, you’ll find cycle routes, walks The Cool Camping Cookbook and train information. For the intrepid, Wild Swimming there’s information on wild camping, COAST cave swimming, cliff jumping and coastal scrambling. And for every location you’ll find difficulty ratings and More information at www.punkpublishing.co.uk safety guidelines. Wild Swimming: Coast combines inspirational photos, engaging writing and practical information in a truly original travel guide. If you like Wild Swimming: Coast, Start Daniel you might also enjoy Come on in – the water’s lovely! its freshwater companion: Wild Swimming by Daniel Start Explore the secret the original photo guidebook coves and wild for places to dip, picnic and swim in inland Britain. Daniel Start beaches of Britain £14.95 Daniel Start is an award-winning travel Wild Swimming: Coast provides all writer and photographer and the author the practical information you’ll need to WILD of Wild Swimming, the bestselling find and enjoy more than 350 magical guidebook to enjoying the summer and swims in some of the least-visited parts exploring the freshwater swimming holes Imagine a summer of swimming, of our stunning coastline. of Britain. As a boy he lived for several exploring by the sea and discovering swimming In this great British tour you’ll be able years in the far west of Cornwall and secret beaches and sandy coves, to swim with dolphins in Cornwall, dive has spent the last 10 years touring the smugglers’ caves and deep lagoons. through rock arches in Dorset, discover UK coastline, charting its secret coves, wild beaches in Essex and explore wild beaches and plunge pools. He also Britain’s beautiful coastline is studded deserted islands in Norfolk. You’ll also works as an environmental consultant. with hidden places to swim, snorkel and read ancient tales of smugglers, poets, sunbathe, and its waters are cleaner and Register at www.wildswimming.co.uk more accessible than ever before. To kings and pirates. to receive monthly updates on magical new celebrate, Daniel Start, author of bestselling WILD swimming locations across the UK and beyond. Whether you’re a water baby or an Wild Swimming, decided to seek out the Other titles from Punk Publishing: occasional dipper, there are ideas for jewels of Britain’s lesser-known shores – from COAST swimming Cool Camping: Europe the whole family. Go snorkelling, rock- Cool Camping: Kids rock arches, coves and sea caves to wild pooling or catch your own supper. Cool Camping: England beaches, dunes and lagoons. Illustrated with Build a beach kite, swim in midnight Cool Camping: France over 300 spectacular photos and 5 detailed phosphorescence or find a beach Cool Camping: Wales maps, this book opens up a magical new Cool Camping: Scotland pub with a roaring fire. If you don’t like The Cool Camping Guide to Festivals world of coastal exploration. driving, you’ll find cycle routes, walks The Cool Camping Cookbook and train information. For the intrepid, Wild Swimming there’s information on wild camping, COAST cave swimming, cliff jumping and coastal scrambling. And for every location you’ll find difficulty ratings and More information at www.punkpublishing.co.uk safety guidelines. Wild Swimming: Coast combines inspirational photos, engaging writing and practical information in a truly original travel guide. If you like Wild Swimming: Coast, Start Daniel you might also enjoy Come on in – the water’s lovely! its freshwater companion: Wild Swimming by Daniel Start Explore the secret the original photo guidebook coves and wild for places to dip, picnic and swim in inland Britain. Daniel Start beaches of Britain £14.95 WILD swimming COAST Explore the secret coves and wild beaches of Britain Daniel Start Text and photos by Daniel Start Wild Swimming:2 Coast First edition published in the United Kingdom in 2009 by Punk Publishing Ltd 3 The Yard, Pegasus Place, London SE11 5SD Copyright © Punk Publishing Ltd 2009 Contents Text and photographs © Daniel Start 2009 Excepting additional photographs, credited where used The moral rights of the author have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in any form of advertising, sales promo- tion or publicity, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission Swims by Region 4 in writing Introduction 6 from the publishers. Getting Started 10 A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library. Swims at a Glance 12 ISBN-13: 978-1-906889-01-2 South West 16 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 South and East 66 www.punkpublishing.co.uk Wales 120 www.wildswimming.co.uk North 162 Scotland 194 Ideas and Inspiration 240 Beach with the Kids 242 Seashore Foraging and Food 244 Swim with Dolphins and Other Beasties 246 Boats and Boards 248 Coasteering 250 Currents, Tides and Safety 252 Credits 256 4 Wales Swims by Region Swim Map and Highlights 122 84–86 Anglesey 124 8 7 – 8 9 North Lleyn and Llandudno 128 9 0 – 9 2 South Lleyn and the Rhinog Coast 132 South West Swim Map and Highlights 18 9 3 – 9 6 Cardiganshire 136 9 7 – 9 9 North Pembrokeshire: Abereiddi to Strumble Head 140 1–4 Land’s End, Penwith and The Isles of Scilly 20 100 –102 Mid-Pembrokeshire: St David’s to Druidston 144 5 – 8 South Cornwall: The Lizard and Helford River 24 103 –109 South Pembrokeshire: Stackpole and Lydstep 150 9–12 South Cornwall: Roseland, Fowey and Polperro 28 110 –116 Gower and Glamorgan 156 1 3 – 1 5 South Devon: Plymouth to Salcombe 32 Scotland 1 6 – 1 8 South Devon: Prawle Point, Dartmouth and Torbay 36 1 9 – 2 1 North Cornwall: St Ives to St Agnes 42 North 22–25 North Cornwall: Newquay, Bedruthan and Padstow 46 Swim Map and Highlights 164 North 2 6 – 2 8 North Cornwall: Polzeath, Port Isaac and Tintagel 50 117–120 Lincolnshire and Humber 166 2 9 – 3 2 North Devon: Hartland Point to Crackington Haven 54 121–124 Flamborough Head and Filey Brigg 170 Wales 3 3 – 3 5 North Devon: Clovelly to Woolacombe 58 125–127 North Yorkshire: Scarborough and Robin Hood’s Bay 174 3 6 – 3 9 North Devon: The Exmoor Coast 62 128–130 North Yorkshire: Whitby, Runswick and Skinningrove 178 South West South and East 131–135 Cumbria and Lancashire 182 136–139 North Northumberland: Holy Island 186 140–142 South Northumberland: Beadnell, South and East How to find the swims: Embleton and Druridge 190 Swim Map and Highlights 68 Once you have decided which region you are interested in, turn 40–42 Lyme Bay and West Dorset 70 to the swim map at the start of that section. There you’ll find the main 43–46 South Dorset: Chesil, Portland and Ringstead 74 Scotland swimming locations (1–175) plus 47–49 South Dorset: Lulworth and Durdle Door 78 Swim Map and Highlights 196 additional swims nearby (marked A, B, C). There’s also a summary 50–53 South Dorset: The Purbecks and Poole 82 143–147 Mull, Iona and Argyll 198 of the regional highlights. 54–56 Isle of Wight 88 148–151 Ardnamurchan, Morar and Eigg 202 The swim panels for each region 57–60 Chichester and West Sussex 92 152–155 Isle of Skye 208 contain the descriptions,detailed directions and difficulty ratings of 61–64 East Sussex 96 156–158 Wester Ross 212 the numbered swimming locations.