On Sunday 19 November a varied group of outdoor swimmers and dippers gathered together to have a swim at the Brickyard Lake. We did this to show it can be done safely and to call for a Right to Swim to create an environment where outdoor swimming is seen as normal so that people can learn about doing it safely. The park warden attended to monitor and had a chat with our spokesperson, and a reporter from the local press attended and talked to several of us. The weather was not bad at all, water chilly at 8.9° with a bit of a breeze – what we would expect at this time of year – and 18 people got into the water, with 8 on the shore.

On a glorious sunny autumn day, 22 October 2023, a varied group of outdoor swimmers and dippers met to Go Swimming together and have a walk at two beautiful lakes in West Norfolk, along with some of their friends. As well as having a lovely day, they wanted to show that it’s possible to swim safely outdoors, including in these lakes, and that we want and need places to swim – especially in such benign water bodies – so that everyone can learn about staying safe in open water.

Local outdoor swimmers and Right to Roam activists decided to gather for a swim trespass at Bawsey pits 23 September 2023. We found a family enjoying the beach at Brickyard lake on a sunny day. What they said and did perfectly illustrated the issues we wanted to raise with the swim trespass – we need access to inland waters and that swimming can be done safely and responsibly – the best way for all to learn about open water to keep themselves safe, and have fun!

Wild swimming is popular, and it’s here to stay. It’s not dangerous, and there are a few key tips swimmers can follow to stay safe and avoid the risks. Accurate information and improved access are the best ways to help people learn about swimming safely and responsibly. We need more access and clearer rights – ideally a Right to Roam on land and in water as in Scotland – and meanwhile we need to Go Swimming!

Popular swim spot easy access blocked with a large amount of felled hedgerow trees, with implications for swimmers and the village, and in breach of wildlife guidelines. It’s not clear why but if there were issues of concern this will make things worse, as well as being horrible and upsetting.

This is what local swimmers said they liked about this Brecks river pool with a sandy beach – perfect to take children to have fun and learn to swim, and lovely for picnics and dips. Some safety tips and links, and earlier memories – more invited, too.

We had heard a lot about this supposedly dangerous lake, and another experienced outdoor swimmer and I went to explore it and assess the risks and the possibilities for swimming there. We found it to be a wonderful location and from this visit couldn’t see any more hazards than in other similar lakes, other than the usual risks of swimming which can be mitigated with accurate information. But anyone visiting must do their own assessment each time, and take care. And if anyone has any specific information about unusual risks at this location it would be interesting to hear about those.

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