The Best Wild Swimming Locations in South Devon

Guest Blog - Sophie Pierce and Matt Newbury (Authors of Wild Swimming Walks: Dartmoor and South Devon)

South Devon is one of the UK’s top wild swimming destinations, and a new book: Wild Swimming Walks: Dartmoor and South Devon – is the perfect guide to finding the very best, secret locations. Here authors Sophie Pierce and Matt Newbury share a few of their favourite South Devon swim spots:

Sugary Cove, Dartmouth

This little cove is tucked away at the mouth of the Dart estuary. You can do a lovely circular walk, starting and finishing at Little Dartmouth, which takes in the cove. The water here is usually calm and sheltered, and there is an exciting swim from here to Castle Cove next door, through a large and dramatic gully.

Shilley Pool, Dartmoor

A lovely pool in a gorgeous Dartmoor valley, with an unusual series of granite ‘slides’ that it is fun to whoosh down!  You can do a nice circular walk from South Zeal, taking in an extraordinary triple stone row, to get to the pool, or else it’s easily accessible from the nearest road.

Soar Mill Cove, near Salcombe

A lovely beach with something for everyone. Rock pools, caves, and if you’re a strong swimmer you can even swim out to a small island offshore called the Ham Stone.

Leftlake, Dartmoor

A vast lake, created as a result of mining.  A beautiful oval pool, perfect for a long swim.

Details on all these swims are available in Wild Swimming Walks: Dartmoor and South Devon by Sophie Pierce and Matt Newbury (£14.99, Wild Things Publishing) is available from all good bookshops. For 30% off and free P+P visit www.wildthingspublishing.com and enter ‘South Devon’ as your coupon code.