There are many great wild swimming spots in Britain’s national parks, with people living in Devon no doubt keen to check out those in Dartmoor and Exmoor. But not everyone looking for a great wild swim will be heading inland or to the countryside.
While Britain has a plethora of national parks on land, the first National Marine Park has only just been designated and, ITV reports, it is based in Plymouth Sound.
A new pontoon has been installed at the Marine Park, with council leader Nick Kelly revealing that its arrival has been prompted by locals, who had previously enjoyed using a swimming pontoon in the area and wanted it back.
He said: “We are demonstrating that we have listened to people’s requests and this is a practical measure that will help people feel safer whilst undertaking activities in the sea.”
Mr Kelly added: "It will be located off a popular swimming beach and is ideal for swimmers to rest if they get tired or should suffer from cramp.”
The Marine Park received £9.5 million of National Lottery funding and the plan is to test out how popular the swimming facility is before adding further facilities.
Now could be a great time to invest in women’s thermal swimwear and head to the Sound to prove how much fun open water swimming is.
There are, of course, plenty of other great wild swimming spots to enjoy in Devon.
Popular seaside spots include South Milton Sands, where an obvious target is the natural arch of Thurlestone Rock, or Salcombe.
Those who do head inland can try rivers like the Dart or Teign, while Crazywell Pool in Dartmoor offers a mountain lake swim comparable with a Lake District tarn.
Like many other tarns, the pool has many myths and legends about it, including a claim that it is bottomless and another that it rises and falls with the tide due to some hidden underground passage to the sea.
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