Wild Swims & Whims: A Quirky Adventure

As all the best adventures do, ours began with breakfast.  Never, ever embark on a swimmy escapade on an empty stomach!  So, with bacon, eggs, and beans fuelling our spirits (and bellies), we were ready to take on the world—or at least a few rivers and lakes 😋.

Packing the car was a feat in itself.  Judging by the mountain of bags, you’d think we were off on a month-long expedition.  But soon, we were off, laughter bubbling as we set our sights on the enchanting village of Hemingford Grey.  We parked at the local bowls and tennis club and headed off in search of the riverbank, which was literally just across the road.  There, ancient olive trees—gnarled, hollow, and wise—stood like sentinels, watching over a narrow boat that bobbed gently in the current.  The scene was so pretty.

We found a perfect spot for an easy entry into the water, changed and slowly waded in.  It was chilly but deliciously so!  The silence here was deafening, broken only by the distant murmur of the voices of walkers hidden behind the trees on the opposite side of the river and the occasional dog-walker’s double-take (three swimmers in October? Crazy!).  We headed downstream, the Manor peeking at us from afar, marvelling at the crystal-clear water and the beauty all around before turning and swimming back towards base camp.  Once out and changed, we poured ourselves a welcome cuppa and cracked open the cheese swirls (a change to the usual sweet treat) and walked to investigate the wonderful trees in more detail - we couldn’t decide if one of them looked happy or grumpy to see us?

Investigations complete and of course photos taken it was back to the car and on our way to Brampton Mill.  Just twelve minutes away actually, but a world apart, with its charming pub and working water wheel.  Too soon for another dip, so out came the camping stove and a pot of homemade red pepper and tomato soup - delicious!  We perched by the mill pond, soup in hand, watching kingfishers dart by in a flash of blue.  On the trees, bright crinkly fungus—‘Chicken In The Woods’—and layered white ‘Turkey Tail’ mushrooms caught our eye.  Google said they were edible, but we decided to leave foraging to the experts!

Bellies full, we set off for Hinchingbrooke Country Park lake and Leonbergers’ Beach.  The lake was still, the place was deserted, not a swimmer in sight.  As we stood on the beach looking out over the water we spotted a wooden jetty over on the other side of the water, we decided to head in that direction.  It was a pretty walk through the woods and it wasn’t too long before we reached our destination - there were even ‘Swimming Club’ signs confirming we were in the right place but still not a swimmer in sight!  It would have been rude not to have a cheeky dip, so in we went—just us, the water, and the trees.  Just perfect!

Next, on the agenda was a little wander through Huntingdon’s town centre, a well-earned cuppa and naturally, cake.  We skipped the next swim spot (not every place speaks to the soul :)) and instead made for Houghton Mill.  What a gem!  The mill was picture-perfect with picnic benches dotted along the water’s edge.  Having looked at the entry into the water, which was a tad rocky and given how open it was, we opted to go in search of a different spot, somewhere along the river itself which would lend itself to a longer swim.    With advice from a local we headed towards a wooden jetty that we could see in the distance.  We found said jetty which was rather weathered (to say the least) just as the light began to fade, making the water shimmer with evening magic.  We swam, we chatted, we passed sleepy boats and other jetties that had seen better days, and we felt utterly content.

Our home for the night?  A timber tent—glamping at its cosiest!  We feasted, sipped wine, reminisced and laughed until our sides ached.  The perfect end to a perfect day.

Morning brought rain, but wild swimming spirits are never dampened!  After another super breakfast which included toast (cooked on our shiny new stove toaster), we packed up, dodged the raindrops and set off for Ely.  The rain played hide and seek and though we considered a swim here, cake and the promise of Bury St Edmunds won out.

Bury greeted us with lunch and a feast for the eyes—gorgeous architecture, bustling shops and a vibrant heart.  Soon, however, the call of cold water was too strong to resist.    It wasn’t too long before we found ourselves changing by the bridge in a little village called Honington, rain pouring, water icy, but hearts happy.  A quick dip was all we needed—just enough to make us feel alive.

Click on the above image for details of our thermal bobble hats!

Knettishall Nature Reserve was our final stop.  The car park was empty (sensible people were indoors!) and the rain was relentless.  We faffed, we giggled, we changed and created our own makeshift shelter for our belongings and whilst doing so a swimmer came from out of nowhere and waded into the water ahead of us, he only stayed for about five minutes - where he came from or where he went afterwards is a real mystery…

There’s something truly magical about swimming in the rain, especially somewhere new.  Given the weather conditions we didn’t linger—out, dressed, everything thrown haphazardly into the car and off we went, tired but glowing.  A couple of days, a handful of swims, a thousand laughs and memories to last a lifetime.

Here’s to wild swims, whims and the joy of adventure!