Customer Reviews
Wild Swimming - By: Ms. E. Flanagan, 04 Aug 2008 
There are very many things that I love about this book. So far I've had it a very short time & have already had an incredibly therapeutic swim, about 10 miles from where I have lived for over 20 years, which I had no idea was there. It was the most beautiful spot & the pub recommendedin the book was such a find, being friendly, serving good beer & food, having a gorgeous wildflower garden & being over a thousand years old.
Having this book means I am much more likely to get out & swimin beautiful places, & not just paddle, worried about currents, debris & pond weed. So all those good intentions are finally coming good & I can entice friends along too. It's definitely going to be the basis of many UK holidays to come.
I'm also impressed that the directions are so concise yet so clear & straightforward to follow - rare for a guide book.
I can't recommend this book enough.
New ways to explore Britain by foot or cycle - By: Ciaran Mundy, 10 Jul 2008 This book has been reviewed on several outdoor forums & magazines & works well as a nice blend of clear reliable guidebook plus photo travelogue. It's aimed as much at the walker or family looking for an unusual summer outing & picnic, as it is for the 'swimmer'. For me it was a perfect timing as last year I decided to be free from all flying as the biggest & easiest way to reduce my carbon emissions.
The swim boxes are particularly useful as they contain 8 point grid references (good for walkers), postcodes (good for drivers) & very detailed walk-in directionsin case you don't have a map (with timings & path difficulties). There's also water quality & whether the swim is a paddle, swim, dunk, dive & so forth, & what else to do if it's too cold, including nearest pubs & campsites.
About 250 places are grid referencedin all (150 with full box panels). There's coverage of interesting places like ancient baptism pools, river tubing canyons, clear chalk streams, places to find otters, catch crayfish, slide down rock pools or find famous locations like the Swallow & Amazons islands.
There's a enoughin the adventure of finding & reading about each place to mean it doesn't matter if you don't swim.
Allin all it seems very well put together.
Wild swimming - a must-have - By: Jean Perraton, 08 Jul 2008 Wild Swimming manages to be both a delightful coffee-table book that one can dip into on a cold winter evening, & also a practical & well-organised guide book. Daniel Start's stunning photographs & lively commentary will entice would-be swimmers to seek out his favourite spots, & the systematic information will enable them to find them. The book lists the key details for each site including the map reference, post code, water quality, a brief description of type of swim & how to get there. It's not just a book for hardened swimmers, Daniel doesn't forget the children suggesting good places to paddle & some innovative ideas for fun on the banks. It's a book for anyone who enjoys wild swimming - or who would like to try it.
what a great book! - By: Juliet Fitzgerald, 08 Jul 2008 I was really excited to discover this book. I am a keen swimmer & have always really enjoyed swimming outdoors. I wanted to explore 'wild swimming' but didn't know where to start. This book gave me lots of ideas & now I'm hooked! Highly recommmended!
Making Waves - By: Melissa FitzGerald, 08 Jul 2008 I am considered to be rather keen to want to swimin any water I come across,in any weather. This book makes me realise that I am not alone, & that my passion even has a name - 'wild swimming'. It is a fantastically user friendly, & not to mention beautifully illustrated, guide to some of the best fresh-water swims around the UK. It is a delight to dip into or read from cover to cover & has given me tons of ideas about new places to jump into.
Go on - get the book, get on your bike & then get into that water. You know you want to!
