Where to Wild Swim in Northumberland

Are you wondering “Where can I Wild Swim in Northumberland, UK?”

You may know how exhilarating and beneficial cold water swimming can be! Or maybe you are new to this and want to find out! Maybe you live in the North East, or love glamping, camping or staying in holiday lets in Northumberland National Park, maybe even staying in our shepherd’s hut here on Hadrian’s Wall. In this article we are going to look at some of the best places to wild swim in Northumberland and how to stay safe whilst doing it.

There are so many Wild Swimming spots in Northumberland worth a visit so here are a handful near us that we have swam at and suggest you try out. We plan to keep adding to this blog as we check out more of the favourite wild swimming spots in this area so keep your eyes peeled!

How to Stay Safe Whist Wild Swimming

This is paramount so please read up on how to keep safe whilst swimming as rivers have currents and the sea has dangerous rip tides. I have shared two articles here so have a read if you want lots of info. As a regular Wild Swimmer in Northumberland our river swimming tips summarised would be;

– always wear flexible rubber soled water shoes to protect your feet from any sharp objects on the river or sea bed – they are never the coolest footwear but believe us when we say it will give you confidence getting in! If they are rubber soles then they will flex around large stones and the river beds so helping support your entry. Often the waters here are peaty so you can’t see the bottom and need confidence that your toes will still be there when you resurface! Here are the sort of things we mean; Decathlon water shoes

– in very cold temps wear neoprene (wet suit) gloves and socks to help keep your extremities warm Decathlon Neoprene Gloves and Neoprene socks

– wear a woolly hat to help your body regulate its heat when exposed to cold water

– avoid swimming with a very full stomach or after consuming alcohol

– avoid swimming after heavy rain fall (I was told this by our local water board) as the rivers often have toxic farming chemicals that drain away from agricultural land.

– take hydration- a bottle of water or isotonic drinks (the river water is not safe to drink!)

– pack a snack for afterwards when hunger strikes!

– pack warm layers and if it’s winter take a hot water bottle to warm you up after the swim

– always take insect repellent- we use Smidge and Jungle Formula to keep away midges, mosquitos and horseflies- otherwise being bitten could make the whole experience miserable!

How to Stay Safe Whist Wild Swimming

Always wear flexible rubber soled water shoes to protect your feet from any sharp objects on the river or sea bed – they are never the coolest footwear but believe us when we say it will give you confidence getting in! If they are rubber soles then they will flex around large stones and the river beds so helping support your entry. Often the waters here are peaty so you can’t see the bottom and need confidence that your toes will still be there when you resurface! Here are the sort of things we mean; Decathlon water shoes
In very cold temps wear neoprene (wet suit) gloves and socks to help keep your extremities warm Decathlon Neoprene Gloves and Neoprene socks
Wear a woolly hat to help your body regulate its heat when exposed to cold water
Avoid swimming with a very full stomach or after consuming alcohol
Avoid swimming after heavy rain fall (I was told this by our local water board) as the rivers often have toxic farming chemicals that drain away from agricultural land.
Take hydration- a bottle of water or isotonic drinks (the river water is not safe to drink!)
Pack a snack for afterwards when hunger strikes!
Pack warm layers and if it’s winter take a hot water bottle to warm you up after the swim
Always take insect repellent- we use Smidge and Jungle Formula to keep away midges, mosquitos and horseflies- otherwise being bitten could make the whole experience miserable!

Here are some links to more detailed open water safety if you want to know more; Sea and River Safety and River Safety

Where are the best Rivers to Swim in Northumberland?

Below are four of the best spots we have discovered in Northumberland and its borders. Is your favourite no0t on the list? Please get in touch to share your own ideas for our wild swimming community in the North East.

Devil’s Water, Swallowship, Hexham

Parking; gravel lay-by just off the B6306 (Postcode: NE46 1TW).

Walking Distance to Pool; 15-20 minutes

Wild Swimming highlights; a sandy beach, multiple entry points

Wild Swim Lowlights; a few boulders in the pools

Coordinates of pool; (copy and paste into google maps) 54.95520° N, 2.06640° W

The road to park on is roughly a 10-minute drive southwest from Hexham to the left of South Lodge House. Enter the woods at a marked public footpath sign near a waste bin.

The wood is an impressive walk with large redwood trees along the path and in summer lots of woodland ants. Follow the woodland track down toward the river -we used the blog below to guide us along the correct paths to find it. There is an alternative route in a circle that passes a gothic house which is worth a look, but this is the most direct route there.

When you arrive you enter through some bushes and down a small but quite steep bank on to a sandy beach like area by the main pool. There are lots of deep areas and entry points and its crags are beautiful! Remember this as a wild spot so no toilets, bins or facilities so take your rubbish home with you. Oh and wear footwear that you can scramble down to the beach area in and tackle the odd climb, bog and tricky descent.

You will find a detailed description of how to find it (it’s a little tricky) here on this blog; or use the coordinates I have taken from a photo I took there- copy and paste these into google maps for the exact pool location.

Wild Swimming in The River Allen at Allen Banks and Staward Gorge

Parking; National Trust car park, Ridley, Bardon Mill, Northumberland, NE47 7BP

Walking Distance to Pool; 20-30 minutes to spot no1

Wild Swimming highlights; 1; large pebbled beach, 2; grassy area, 3; deep pools & crags

Wild Swim Lowlights; 1 often busy, 2 can be shallow, 3 furthest to walk

1- The first one is where the river bends at Raven Crag (see No1 on the images of map) on the Allenbanks walk where there is a deep pool. This spot is the nearest and is popular so expect to see others in the water or on the beach area.

2- Then a little way further along at Plankey Mill (where 28 Years Later was filmed) there are a few deep pools -cross the footbridge to the stony shores and find the pools below the crags around this area (No2 on the map).

3- Whilst on this side of the river if you follow the footpath sign that follows along the river side through a large meadow towards woodland, that is Staward Gorge and Peel. Once you have climbed a slight hill up the path in the woods, a little way along take one of the well trodden paths off to the right through the undergrowth and you will find access to the river. There are several deep pools lined with impressive crags. All the water here is affected by the peat content of the ground so often brown and murky but it’s clean,

More information on the area is here

Wild Swimming at River Gelt, Gelt Woods Nature Reserve, Brampton, Cumbria

Parking address; Middle Gelt House, How Hill, Brampton, CA8 9JJ

Walking Distance to Pool; 15-20 minutes or right by the parking spot

Wild Swimming highlights; multiple deep pools along the whole stretch of water

Wild Swim Lowlights; limited parking spots

Coordinates of a midway pool; (copy and paste into google maps) 54.91970° N, 2.73970° W

This is just over the Northumberland border with Cumbria and is our favourite spot to wild swim! This is because it’s less busy and you can find spots along the river to have all to yourselves. Our shepherd’s hut is close to the Cumbria border and so a drive to the Brampton area takes about 20 minutes from Twice Brewed, but might be a bigger drive for people situated on the East of the country. It’s worth checking out as it’s a stunning woodland with a river carving beautiful shapes in the rock and a much less frequented place by visitors than Allen Banks. There is also some Roman ‘grafitti’ on some stones along the riverside.

The walk is best begun at ‘Middle Gelt Cottage’ parking under the railway viaduct. There is a sign showing the public footpath which mostly follows the river along its banks, with a few steep climbs that take you away from the water. Some swim spots are obvious- firstly where you park- under the small viaduct, a bridge over the water has a large pool beneath but it’s a bit tricky to get down to the shore, so it might not be for you. There are easier entry points further along- a great one with a waterfall that enters the main pool from a smaller stream’s pipe joining the River Gelt. This pool is deep and easy to swim in. It involves a small scramble down to the rivers edge. Further along the path you can drop down to various big pools along the river if you follow paths through undergrowth worn by deer and wildlife that go to drink there. Just make sure you have insecticide for ticks as deer carry lots!

One spot has several low waterfalls over low rocks and it’s absolutely stunning!

Wild Swimming at River Irving, Crammel Linn Waterfall, Northumberland Cumbrian borders.

Parking; 55.020671, -2.572074 What Three Words ///denim.pizzas.soaks

Walking Distance to Pool; 10 minutes

Wild Swimming highlights; beautiful waterfall and flat places to change

Wild Swim Lowlights; can be busy, steep climb down

Crammel Linn is Northumberland’s largest waterfall, a spectacular 7 metre double waterfall in the rugged Irthing Gorge on the Cumbria and Northumberland border. The pool beneath it is deep enough to jump in (if you are careful!) and it’s very peaty and dark water. The waterfall has steps covered in moss you can sit on which is fun! There are flat stone areas to change and sit for a while in the sun. We went at 5.30 in the evening midsummer and the whole area was floodlit with sunshine. It takes your breath away!

The spot to park is near a public footpath signpost and there are lots of alarming signs saying not to cross certain points as its a test centre for the RAF. But the path to the waterfall is fine to walk on but the access is tricky if its wet. When we went it had been dry for a while so it was fine and was a well trodden path on the way down with foot indents to use as steps. But it does need footwear with gripped soles and maybe waterproof when it’s wet. Expect a steep decline- maybe take walking poles if you are a bit unsteady.

Are there any Wild Saunas with Wild Swimming in Northumberland?

Well here are a few options for Wild Saunas in or near Northumberland! There are lots of North East Wild Swimming spots with a Wild Sauna.

Hadrian’s Wall Huts, Twice Brewed, Bardon Mill, Northumberland, NE47 7AN

Firstly Hadrian’s Wall Huts (that’s us) at Twice Brewed near Steel Rigg on Hadrian’s Wall has its own sauna for two people to use exclusively with a cold shower all outdoors with views across National Trust land and Hadrian’s Wall itself. When you are a guest here you can book into the wild sauna there for morning or early evening sessions.

Steam and Salt, Longsands Beach, Tynemouth, NE30 4JF

Tynemouth Longsands Beach’s parking is available along the access road on the decline to the beach, and it is just a 10-minute walk from both Tynemouth and Cullercoats Metro stations. This is a fantastic beach and the nearest coast line to Newcastle. You can dip in the sea and heat up with beautiful North sea views!

This spot is for lovers of a sea dip although it can often be too rough to be safe to swim in. This sauna Steam and Salt, positioned in the cliff edges of the south end of Long Sands beach at Tynemouth, has two cabins run by a wonderful woman called Maggie and her team. If you are here for a dip and sauna you can pop to the next bay along afterwards for some incredible grilled seafood at Rileys Fish Shack in King Edwards Bay.

Northumbrian Sauna and H20 Trails, Higham, Northumberland. NE20 0DH

Higham Lake is located in Ponteland, Northumberland sitting off Higham Dykes near the A696 and is a wild lake swimming with sauna and paddle board hire.

This is run by a lovely and very knowledgeable chap called Fenwick who is known locally as the ‘Ice Viking’ because he looks like one and swims like one, in ice cold water! He is an Olympic ice water swimmer and has lots of facts and tips on hot and cold therapy. He runs swimming sessions, paddle boarding and saunas too at a clean and picturesque lake just outside of Newcastle in Higham, Northumberland. He has a barrel sauna trailer parked at the site and travels with this too.