Bathing in the Brecks: Outdoor Swimming past, present & future, is outlined in this separate section of the website. We will discover the history and promote safe and environmentally friendly outdoor swimming in Breckland in two projects, Tales from the River and Healing Waters. These are due to begin in 2020, as the bid for funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has been successful.
STOP PRESS How exactly we deliver the BFER projects for the next few months is under review because of the Covid-19 situation. We are postponing training sessions due to take place in the next few months, and thinking how we can respond and keep in touch. Ideas welcome.
The projects are now starting to take shape, with the first dates set in 2020. For the swim history project see – POSTPONED – Tales from the River 2020 dates; and for the outdoor swimming project see – BEING CONSIDERED – Healing Waters 2020 dates.
Tales from the River will involve young people and adults in gathering and celebrating stories and folklore about outdoor swimming and other recreational use of the water in the Breckland rivers and other waters in the past and present.
Read about the Tales from the River project in more detail.
Healing Waters will involve people in outdoor swimming with training to enjoy the waters safely and with care for the environment, and it will map and consider establishing and publicising suitable places for swimming or for other recreational uses of the rivers.
Read about the Healing Waters project in more detail
and Download a talk on the project 11 March 2020 (Word.doc, 2 pages)
Landowners and other participants marked places on the Brecks map where they owned or managed land and where they have swum, at a workshop 11 March 2020 at the start of the Healing Waters project.
Download a report of the day (Word.doc 4 pages), which also includes more information on workshop organisers and speakers, and a list of resources and guidance.
Young people – how you can get involved in Healing Waters (and Tales from the River)
These 2 linked projects are part of Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership Scheme, which has now succeeded in the bid for funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Read about the whole project in detail – download the full report and a map of the area.
See display panels about the projects and a map with a snapshot of where people go for recreation, from the conference March 2019
There is also a Facebook page: Bathing in the Brecks: Outdoor Swimming past, present & future, and a Facebook group, Outdoor Swimming in Breckland. (Members of the group swam in and explored many swim spots in the area over a weekend in early October.)
@TheBrecksLP is the Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership Scheme Twitter account
Contact me if you would like to get updates, to get involved, or have any comments or questions
Downloads high res map (8 mb) from BFER website