A wild swimmer has told of her experiences swimming through the city’s rivers, as she has released a book about her journeys.

The hobby of wild swimming, that is swimming in natural places such as rivers or lakes, is an increasingly popular.

In April, Wolvercote Mill Stream, which is located north of Port Meadow, became only the second inland river in the UK to achieve Designated Bathing Water Status.  

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The status means the public will be able to access weekly water quality data throughout the official outdoor bathing season, which runs from May to September, enabling them to swim safely.

Eleanor Blyth is one person, who describes herself as an “enthusiastic” wild swimmer who is keen to promote the hobby, especially the connection between swimmers and nature.

This is her story:

When we think of ‘Wild Swimming’, we usually conjure up images of the countryside. After all, part of the appeal of the swim is the connection to nature. And yet over 80 per cent of us live in cities. During lockdown when we weren’t allowed to travel anywhere, a new form of wild swimming emerged: swimming in city rivers. Especially so in Oxford. Over the last two summers, thousands of people started using the river as their place to cool off on a hot day. The riverside became a ‘beach’ with inflatables, kayakers and swimmers all enjoying the water. They weren’t just cooling off, the lovely thing about water is that people become playful.

Oxford is perfect for river swimming. People have been swimming in Oxford for centuries. Many of you reading this will have grown up swimming in places like Tumbling Bay and Longbridges. In their heyday, they had extra facilities like diving boards, changing rooms, even toilets. Regularly in use till the 1970s they have since been abandoned and are now pretty derelict.

But now… Oxford’s residents have decided that it’s safe to go back into the water!

I am an enthusiastic wild swimmer. But unlike many, I don’t like to be very cold and I don’t try to go far or fast. But I do like an adventure. So last summer, I decided to see what it was like to swim right across Oxford; slowly and gently downstream!

It was lovely. Getting into the river itself has its own magic; being pulled along by the flow, while the trees drape their branches down into the water, the glinting sunlight is spellbinding. It was so special to swim through a city that I have known all my life, but now to see it from the viewpoint of the water. As I swam under road bridges, I looked up and saw birds nesting in the bridge’s structures. As I swam past trees, I was face-to-face with their roots clinging to the bank, and when I needed a breather the branches were great to hang on to.

The extraordinary thing is that, even though I was in the middle of a city, I had an instant connection to nature. Within minutes of my house, I found myself in contact with the wonderful power and otherness of the river.

The great thing about swimming through Oxford is that there are pubs and restaurants on the riverside. As part of my city-swimming adventure, I planned to end somewhere for a meal or a drink. For instance, the first swim I made started upstream from the famous Trout Inn in Wolvercote. I booked us a meal for mid-afternoon, left dry clothes in the car in their car park, and walked upstream to my swim start. I entered the water and, as so often happens, I enjoyed the sensation of the cold water on my skin. Wonderful also to be with the water birds and reeds. At first, I had the river to myself, but close to the end of the swim kids were jumping into the river off the bridge. It was fabulous to see youngsters enjoying the river like this. I have to say, I really enjoyed that pub meal afterwards: chilled and enthused about life.

Knowing when and where to swim, avoiding crowds and boats, is definitely part of the planning process for a great city swim.

To celebrate the journeys I made, and to show how it can be done safely and enjoyably, with help from friends I’ve created a book Swimming Through Oxford. You can find out more and buy a copy at blythpublishing.com. It’s also on sale at Daunt Books in Summertown.

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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.

You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry

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