Anna talks to those who belong to Kent’s brilliant selection of open-water swimming clubs. and discovers some magical Kentish spots, including a natural swimming pond and a glorious lake in the heart of a historic estate.
Weeds swishing across your feet…dragon flies hovering…even perhaps a duck or two on the water…Want to have the sense that you’re truly at one with nature without having to worry about polluted water and potential hazards? The answer is to head to one of Kent’s wonderful Open Water swimming spots.
Laura Ansell runs Triswim in West Kent, a company she started back in 2016. She explains, ‘Swimming in general is so good for us: it provides a cardio-vascular workout – great for your heart and lungs - and it’s a non weight-bearing, activity, making it easy on our joints. The moment you factor in being outside in nature and at one with the elements, you’ve got a whole raft of additional benefits – there’s a sense of adventure, which gets the adrenalin pumping and which gives us that feel-good sensation when we’ve finished our swim. Cold water also stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs through the body and is key to our sense of wellbeing – fantastic for warding of depression and anxiety and with positive effects on everything from our brains to our hair and nails. If the sun’s shining, you should also be topping up your body’s Vitamin D levels when you’re out in the open. But, whatever the weather, the glow you get after open-water swimming is inescapable – anyone will tell you!’
Laura is a professional swimmer and coach who’s been teaching since she was 16. It was only after the birth of her daughter Rosie, however, that she got into triathlons when she wanted to up her fitness levels and lose some weight. ‘My first open-water lake experience was quite something, though – there was one other person on the water and seemingly no one keeping an eye on us. The other person on the water had a panic attack, so basically I had to haul him back out. When we got to the water’s edge and to the first official-looking person I could find, his response was, ‘He’ll get over it’ – and that was my introduction to open-water swimming! My aim from then on was to see people introduced to this sort of swimming with all the care and attention people get when they’re at the swimming pool, to see them supported and empowered. I was competing as part of Gordon Ramsay’s GR100 event – he’s a very keen triathlete and organises lots of events for charities – and it was Gordon who said, ‘You’ve talked about this a lot – I think you should set something up.’ So I did!
These days, Triswim has around 2,500 members, with around 700 swimming regularly. ‘As our name suggests, I might have started out offering support to triathletes but what’s been so special is that we’ve grown to become truly inclusive – all ages, abilities, genders, shapes and sizes swim with us these days – if you just want a casual swim, that’s absolutely fine. And we do pride ourselves on creating a community feel – we find a lot of our members hope to make friends through swimming. We also arrange special family events – even ‘Doggie Paddle’ sessions, where people can bring their dogs for a dip’ says Laura.
‘What we offer – beside the practicalities, like changing facilities - is initial safety instruction plus life-guards who keep an eye on the swimmers. And of course we test the water monthly and whenever there’s been heavy rainfall to ensure it’s safe to swim in – something we all know that you really can’t take for granted these days. Truly ‘wild’ swimming, on the other hand – when you just pitch up at a body of water and get it - just comes with too many risks. You certainly don’t know how clean the water is and you might not know what’s lurking underneath. I know of at least one local spot, popular with young people, where abandoned farming equipment lies beneath the murky water, it’s actually pretty deep and the banks are so steep it’s very hard to get out of. And don’t get me started about the risks of jumping off bridges to get into the water: it’s a serious accident waiting to happen. Open Water swimming with organisations like ours offers the best of all worlds – safety and security, but the chance to swim in beautiful natural surroundings, too.’
Triswim members (and non-members too – but members get a better rate) have access annually year-round to sites throughout West Kent, from Hever Castle to Chipstead Lake in Sevenoaks and the lake at Haysden Country Park in Tonbridge. Plans are well underway to get Triswim operating at the lake in the old pleasure gardens of The Beacon at Tunbridge Wells, where its highly rated restaurant means you should be able to get a terrific breakfast after your swim. Meanwhile, new to Triswim this summer is beautiful Lancup Well Lake on the Penshurst Place estate, where you can simply swim or treat yourself (or a friend) to a package that includes a cream tea and a tour of the beautiful historic house, which all sounds rather magical.
‘We do see more swimmers, obviously, when the weather is warm – we post temperatures and in summer, the water tends to be about 21 degrees C, which is warmer than the sea and means you certainly don’t have to have a wetsuit to join us. We encourage people to keep swimming until our season ends and not to put off by the great British weather. Personally, I’m a big fan of swimming in the rain – it’s really invigorating.’
Triswim.org.uk
My favourite swim
Jane Maltby is a Triswim regular at Chipstead Lake in Sevenoaks.
‘One of the things that really appeals to me about open water swimming is the opportunity it gives me for a really good, long swim – it’s not like being in pool where you’re just doing laps up and down. That said, you can do as much or as little swimming as you like, and at whatever speed – I swim a fairly measured freestyle, some people are in training, and others go for slow, contemplative breaststroke. In winter, I find the cold water especially beneficial for aches and pains – temperatures can get towards freezing, so I’m always in a wetsuit in winter, and I’ll tend to stay in for no longer than a short swim. There’s that moment when you put your face in the water, and pull the suit down at the neck and let the water in and it’s cold for a few seconds, but then it’s fine. And you acclimatise during the seasons, so by the time the water is colder, your body is used to it. Chipstead is somewhere I love to swim: there’s a real sense of space here, the circuit means you can swim really far into the lake, and it’s just a very pretty place. With birdsong and surrounded by trees, there’s a real sense of peace and I find swimming here both restorative and exhilarating. I tend to feel quite proud of myself and my body when I come out of the water.
Give it a go!
Actress India Erlam, from Tunbridge Wells, loves the freedom that cold-water swimming especially brings. ‘My advice to those new to open-water swimming is be brave, give it a go – and take whatever the weather throws at you. Afterwards, have comfortable clothes that you can get into quickly and easily so you’ll warm up. Give it a go – even the briefest of dips leaves you feeling wonderful afterwards!’
Two other lovely Kent places for organised outdoor swimming
Beckenham Place Park
Beckenham might be within a London borough these days, but as far as we’re concerned it maintains its Kent credentials! Close to the town but with a sense of true tranquillity, Beckenham Place Park is home to its very own purpose-built swimming lake, dating from Georgian times but carefully reconstructed in 2019. PTP Coaching operates hour-long sessions for experienced swimmers in this 285 metres long stretch of water that reaches to depths of up to 3.5 metres. There’s safety training and support and everyone’s required to wear a tow-float for safety and visibility - PTP can provide these if necessary. ptpcoaching.co.uk
St Andrew’s Lakes, Halling, near Rochester
It’s not cheap to swim here and there are certain criteria visitors must fulfil, but those who love it here really love it – and the crystal clear blue waters of this former quarry mean it’s easy to see why. You can try your hand at all sorts of water sports in the child-friendly aquaparks here (and other activities – archery or tackling the climbing wall, for instance), and facilities include a wellness centre and accommodation for camper vans. It’s open-water swimming we’re after, though, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy it, with everything from solstice swims to moonlight sessions on offer. A pre-booked safety induction session is compulsory, however – so this isn’t somewhere to come for a-swim-on-a-whim. If it sounds like your sort of adventure, though, start planning now! standrewswatersports.co.uk
And for a special Kent waterside stay
Via Airbnb, you’ll find a wonderfully cosy and well-equipped railwayman’s hut for two in Horsmonden with the loveliest natural swimming pond (a large one, at that at 80 x 20 m ) – its creation a lock-down project for the owners - right on its doorstep. Tried and tested by us, we enjoyed early-morning summer swims in limpid water, weaving our way between the lily pads while accompanied by ducks, ducklings and dragonflies. Magical! Search Railwayman’s Hut, Horsmonden airbnb.co.uk
For plenty of useful tips, guidance and info:
outdoorswimmingsociety.com – news on swimming events and meetings around the country and full of brilliant tips for keeping safe, and for respecting the natural environment around you.
