Sophie Pierce, the co-author of a new book — Wild Swimming Walks Dartmoor and South Devon — tells us why we should always take our cossy when we go out for a walk.
For me, no walk is complete without a swim. After a long tramp through Dartmoor’s wonderful wildness, what could be better than a refreshing dip in one of its many rivers, lakes or waterfalls?
The same applies to a walk along our stunning coastline. The views of the sea from the coast path are like a siren, calling me to plunge into Devon’s beautiful azure waters.
I’ve lived on Dartmoor for 16 years now, and I never stop marvelling at its beauty, and seeking out new places. I wrote our new book with my friend Matt Newbury, simply because we wanted to share the joy of our adventures in and around the moor and also on the coast.
You might ask, why another book about Dartmoor? There have been hundreds of guides written in the last century, most famously by William Crossing and Richard Hansford Worth, ranging from the scholarly to the simple. But there’s never been a guide to all Dartmoor’s watery places.
The western and northern sides of Dartmoor are particularly rich in breath-taking places to swim. Tavy Cleave is one of my favourites. It is a hidden gorge through which the River Tavy runs down towards Tavistock. As you walk into the valley it feels as though you are entering a secret kingdom. The famous tors line the top of the valley like battlements, and there are two swimmable pools with gorgeous waterfalls.
The West Okement river is another very special place. We feature it in a circular walk starting out from Meldon Reservoir and ending up at popular Meldon Pond. You ascend up the gurgling little river with its waterfalls, pools, huge boulders, and lush green mosses and ferns.
You can stop halfway up and swim and play in a cascade which even has a hidden ‘room’. The walk continues to Black-a-Tor Copse, a fascinating ancient dwarf oak woodland, before continuing to Black Tor, one of the highest points of Dartmoor, with great views. You then descend down to Meldon Pond where you can have a lovely swim to cool off.
The other very special thing about Dartmoor is its ancient monuments, and natural rock features. Dartmoor has the highest concentration of Bronze Age relics in the whole of Europe. One of the walks in our book is particularly packed with these.
You start out near Chagford, and the walk takes in standing stones and double stone rows, and culminates in the atmospheric and mysterious Scorhill stone circle. In between you can dip in the pretty, and largely undiscovered, North Teign river, where there is the famous Tolmen Stone, which has a natural hole in it.
Legend has it that if you pass through the hole you will never get rheumatism. Some also believe it can aid fertility.
The coast always makes a wonderful day out, and South Devon is packed with a huge range of beaches. South Milton Sands is one of my favourites, with its famous natural arch, Thurlestone Rock, which stands on the edge of a reef. It is huge fun to swim out to the rock on a high tide.
If you wear goggles or a mask and snorkel, and swim out over the reef, you will be treated to an underwater kaleidoscope of pink and purple rocks, gardens of seaweed, fish and crabs; it’s like being in a nature documentary!
Beauty is not just to be found in rural areas though. We feature another walk around the Mount Batten Peninsula in Plymouth, which takes in some fascinating naval history, and stunning views of the Sound. There are several places to dip on the way, including the sea but also the calmer waters of Hooe Lake, in the estuary.
All these walks can be enjoyed whether or not you’re a swimmer of course. It’s always lovely to have a picnic by a river or lake; you don’t actually have to get in it! Quite a few of our walks have pubs or refreshments en route too.
What could be nicer this summer than a day out in glorious Devon with family, friends, and dogs? It’s all about exploring and enjoying our beautiful landscape here on Dartmoor and in South Devon.
Happy adventures!