Would You Swim In A ‘Haunted’ Wild Swimming Spot?

It is known as one of the UK’s best wild swimming spots, but Blake Mere Pond, near Upper Hulme in the Staffordshire Peak District, has a dark legend that might make you think twice about taking a dip!

The beautiful site, better known as Mermaid Pond, is popular with wild swimmers in the North West of England, only an hour and a half drive from Manchester. But unlike this mermaid wild swimmer in Yorkshire, the site is reportedly haunted by a vengeful mermaid who inflicts harm on unsuspecting swimmers.

There are two conflicting tales about the legend of the vengeful mermaid. The first is a love story of sorts, and tells the tale of when a mermaid was said to be rescued by a sailor from imprisonment in the nearby town of Thorncliff, who then took her to a lake, where they fell in love.

Legend has it that the sailor returned to the lake every day until his death, at which point the heartbroken mermaid became resentful and started to haunt the lake, and harmed unsuspecting travellers who found the lake and took a dip.

The second version of the legend is even more sinister, as it tells the tale of a beautiful young woman who rejected the advances of a local man named Joshua Linnet, who, unable to accept being rejected, accused the woman of being a witch and convinced the local townsfolk to drown her in the Black Mere Pond.

With her final breath, the young woman cursed the young man and three days later his body was found by the pool, which she still haunts as a vengeful spirit.

Today, the lake is a tranquil haven for wild swimming enthusiasts and has frequently been named as one of the best wild swimming spots in the UK.

On a good day, visitors to Black Mere Pond can enjoy panoramic views across Leek, Titterworth Reservoir and Cheshire.

No new sightings of the mermaid have been reported, thank goodness, but the undeniable beauty of Blake Mere Pond, and the legend that surrounds it persists to this day.