Need To GTFO? 4 Swim Day Trips From London To Try This Summer

London is my adopted home & I love it dearly. However, from time to time, as I'm sure we can all relate, I do feel an overwhelming desire to get tf out.

Given that swimming is apparently 99% of my personality I obviously default to water-oriented escapes — hikes-with-wild-swims, quaint seaside towns, tidal pools, etc etc.

Here are 4 swim day trips which I have either personally tried and loved, or heard very good things about. They're all within 1.5 hours of London by train with some kind of swim or water-based whimsy guaranteed.

1) St Andrews Lake (Halling, Kent)

I visited St Andrews Lake about a month ago when I was in desperate need of some R&R outside of London. Primarily I wanted to visit the wellness centre, which has a lovely lakeside sauna + hot tubs + deck chairs, but I also noticed they were setting up their inflatable aqua park (!!) for the summer.

It's a pretty idyllic spot, nestled amongst some of Kent's best countryside, with turquoise-blue water caused by the natural limestone and calcium in the lake (which used to be a quarry).

How to get there: ~50 min train from London St Pancras to Halling followed by a 15 min walk to St Andrews Lake. Alternatively, you can take the train from Victoria to Sole Street and then hike 1.5-2 hours through the lovely countryside around Luddesdown to the lake.

2) Compton Lock (River Itchen, Winchester)

Scenes from our wild swimming day trip last summer.

Compton Lock might be one of the best & most accessible hike + wild swim combos near London. It's also got the added benefit of taking you through Winchester, the ancient seat of the Anglo-Saxon kings and home to one of my top 5 pubs of all time, The Wykeham Arms. 

I've already done a full write-up on this swim spot after we took our London social swim club for a wild swimming day trip last summer. It was vibes, you should definitely check it out.

How to get there: ~1 hour train from London Waterloo to Winchester, then a 1-1.5 hour hike along the River Itchen to Compton Lock. Return to London by train from Shawford.

3) Walpole Bay Tidal Pool (Margate, Kent)

Is Margate the Hackney Wick of Kent? Not rage bait I promise, but if you disagree feel free to let me know.

In any case it's got the biggest tidal pool in the UK (Walpole Bay Tidal Pool), some lovely sandy beaches plus the wonderful Sea Scrub Sauna on Margate Beach. I've also been reliably informed that the Harbour Arms is worth a visit.

How to get there: ~1.5 hour train from London St Pancras to Margate (other departure stations are available).

4) Divers Cove (Godstone, Surrey)

Situated just outside the M25 (literally), Divers Cove is a beautiful wild swimming and sauna spot near Godstone in Surrey. I am a particular fan of their wooden barrel saunas, which are open Saturdays & Sundays only.

Would definitely book this one in advance if you are considering going, it can get very busy especially during the warmer months.

How to get there: Train from London Bridge (~30 mins) or Victoria (~40 mins) to Oxted, then a 10 min taxi to Divers Cove. If you want to incorporate a hike, you can instead travel to Caterham and follow this route by Girls Who Walk to Pubs (~3-3.5 hours, finishing at Godstone train station).

Honourable Mention — Wolvercote Mill Stream (Port Meadow, Oxford)

I hesitated about including Wolvercote because — despite being designated as the River Thames' first bathing site in 2022 — it has consistently been rated as Poor in annual testing classifications.

That being said, the Oxford Wild Swimming Society (OWSS) swims at Port Meadow all year round (subject to water quality checks), and there are ongoing campaigns by groups like Surfers Against Sewage and Thames21 to improve water quality at sites like Wolvercote / the Thames Basin in general.

Personally, I think its very important for us swimming people not to accept these things as a given, so I've got a lot of time for groups like OWSS who just crack on.

Upcoming London Swims & Events

Swim Peeps (@swim_peeps)

• Social Swim @ West Reservoir Centre — Sunday, 3 May
• Social Swim @ West Reservoir Centre — Sunday, 10 May
• Boat Party 🪩💃 x Grooves For Good (deets here) — Saturday, 23 May

Girly Dips (@girlydips)

• Girly Trips Brighton (sold out; join the waitlist) — Saturday, 9 May
• Spring Sauna Sesh @ Urban Heat Sauna — Tuesday, 19 May
• Feel Good Friday @ Brockwell Lido — Friday, 22 May

Queer Swim (@queer.swim)

• Wednesday evening swims @ Hampstead Heath Mixed Ponds — every Wednesday from w/c 25 May

That's all from me, hopefully see you at one of our May social swims.

Cheers,

Sax

Bobbing Along #15