by Jen Benson
12 Swim the East Lyn River: Long Pool to Watersmeet
To the north of Exmoor, the East Lyn River carves its way through the landscape within a deep, wooded, steep-sided valley, joining Hoar Oak Water at Watersmeet. Clear paths run along both sides of the river here, making it a great stretch for a swim, with easy escapes for any sections you’d prefer not to tackle. The path on the right-hand side of the river as you descend is the Coleridge Way, a 51-mile (82km) waymarked long-distance walking trail that starts in the Quantock Hills and ends at the sea in Lynmouth. About 1km downstream from the start lies Long Pool, a deep ravine of about 165 feet (50m) in length. Both Long Pool and Watersmeet on Exmoor are popular swimming spots; Long Pool is secluded and leafy, whereas Watersmeet is open and easily accessible, and therefore often busier. But with a wetsuit and footwear, the descent between the two is an exciting adventure, with plenty of drops and slides along the way. Beginning at the (excellent) Rockford Inn, the swim ends at Watersmeet, where there’s a National Trust tearoom for a welcome post-swim refuel. This area is carefully managed by the National Trust, and you might spot otters fishing for the local trout and salmon. Please be aware of anglers and kayakers who may also use this stretch of the river, and don’t attempt swimming in it after heavy rain.
Challenge level:
Start: Rockford Inn, Exmoor, EX35 6PT
Finish: Watersmeet, Lynmouth, Exmoor OS grid ref: SS 745486
Distance: 1¾ miles/3km
Map: OS Explorer OL9
Local Highlights
Camp at Cloud Farm in the Doone Valley, right next to Badgworthy Water.
Try the Rockford Inn for lunch and a local ale, or the Watersmeet Café for tea and scones.
If you’re a competent paddler you can kayak from Watersmeet House down to Lynmouth between 1 October and 31 March. Check the gauge under the bridge at Watersmeet House; if the water level is ‘green’ it’s safe to paddle. Note that there is only access at set points – see leaflets available at Watersmeet.
13 Castle Rock & the Valley of Rocks
Exmoor’s Valley of Rocks is somewhere that, once visited, never quite leaves you. It’s a place of contrasts: one side of the valley is rolling moorland, the other jagged rock formations, and in the centre lies a manicured cricket pitch. On a clear day the light is beautiful – the rocks, grass, bracken and sea change colour from one minute to the next as the sun makes its way over the valley. And there’s an intriguing mystery here too – the Valley of Rocks is an old river valley, carved over thousands of years by the East Lyn, but now, with the Lyn meeting the sea at Lynmouth, it is high and dry without the slightest hint of a river. A herd of wild goats has lived here, on and off, for decades, and they often pose high on the rocky outcrops, silhouetted against the sky. The valley has inspired many literary greats over the years, from Wordsworth and Coleridge to RD Blackmore, who set part of Lorna Doone here.
As you walk along the South West Coast Path from Lynton, an airy trail that runs at half-height between the rocks and the sea, Castle Rock looms ahead as you approach the entrance to the Valley of Rocks. Though naturally formed, it is unmistakably a fortress, with its lofty turrets perched above the waves. The fossil-strewn Devonian rock here is some of the oldest of its kind in Devon and enjoyable to climb on. There are several graded routes up the various faces, but the scramble to the top is a pleasant one, and when you reach it, it is a wonderful place from which to watch the sun set.
Challenge level:
Location: a few hundred metres from the Valley of Rocks car park, Lynton, EX35 6JH
OS grid ref: SS 708497
Map: OS Explorer OL9
Local Highlights
Refuel at Charlie Friday’s café in Lynmouth.
Stay at the National Trust’s Butter Hill Barn bunkhouse (sleeps 6, dog-friendly) set on the dramatic North Devon coast.
Visit Cow Castle, an Iron Age hillfort above the river Barle – a wonderful swimming spot too: OS grid ref: SS 792372.
14 Ride the Quantock Great Ridge
The Quantock Hills were the site of England’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated as such in 1956. They have more bridleways per square kilometre than anywhere else in Britain, making them perfect for exploring by bike, particularly as so many of the trails are exciting, high-quality singletrack.
The main ridgeline that runs north–south along the hills is a great introduction to the area and one of the easiest bridleways both to ride and to navigate. Smaller bridleways drop off the ridge to left and right at regular intervals, allowing you to explore further afield if you don’t mind the climb back up. With a car park at either end, this is a lovely ride, taking about an hour each way. Near to the southern end of the ridge, bordered by a stunning avenue of beech trees, stands Triscombe Stone, marking the crossroads of an ancient drovers’ way. From here you can walk up to Wills Neck, the highest point in the hills – the bridleway itself continues to the north of this high point, so please don’t cycle to the summit.
The route: to avoid crossing the busy A39, the best out-and-back route starts and finishes at Lydeard Hill car park at the southern tip of the hills. From here follow the main ridge track north, passing Wills Neck and Triscombe Stone and continuing along the track to descend steeply to where the A39 draws the northern boundary of the hills. Return by the same route in reverse.
Challenge level:
Start/finish: Lydeard Hill car park, TA4 3DY
OS grid ref: ST 180339
Distance: 15 miles/24km (7½miles/12km each way)
Map: OS Explorer 140
Local Highlights
Visit peaceful Kilve beach and scramble out along the long, rocky fingers that reach out to the Bristol Channel (no swimming).
Enjoy a post-ride pint at the Rising Sun Inn in West Bagborough, close to the start/finish point.
Camp, glamp or B&B at Huntstile Organic Farm, Goathurst – the breakfasts are legendary.
15 Bikepack the Kennet & Avon
The 87-mile (60km) Kennet and Avon Canal comprises two navigable rivers linked by a stretch of canal; starting at Bristol, it follows the natural course of the river Avon to Bath, where it splits off to become a canal that runs all the way to Newbury. Here it joins the river Kennet for the final stretch to Reading. The 100-mile (161km) cycle route follows the Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 4 and is predominantly off-road apart from a stretch along country lanes through the Vale of Pewsey and in Bath city centre. It begins along the surfaced Bristol–Bath path, a former railway route that passes a section of track still used by steam trains. There’s much to see along the way, including the aqueducts at Dundas and Avoncliff and the flight of sixteen locks at Caen Hill near Pewsey, which take 5–6 hours to navigate in a boat. Look out for herons fishing from the banks and bright blue kingfishers skimming along the water. A diversion can also be taken to include the Bath Two Tunnels Greenway, another stretch of former railway that passes through Britain’s longest walking/cycling tunnel. There are refreshment stops at regular intervals along the way and the primary towns all offer accommodation.
Challenge level:
Start: Bristol Temple Meads railway station, BS1 6QF
Finish: Reading railway station, RG1 1LZ
Distance: 100 miles/161km
Maps: OS Explorer 154–9
Local Highlights
Spend a day exploring Bristol’s best mountain bike spots, including Leigh Woods and Ashton Court.
Take a dip in the river Avon or the river Frome where they pass through peaceful wooded valleys. At Dundas and Avoncliff the towpath crosses spectacular aqueducts, both designed by John Rennie.
Visit the white horse at Pewsey, one of 13 etched into the Wiltshire chalk escarpments. Cut in 1937, it replaced a much older version, now lost in the undergrowth.
16 Climb Golden Cap
Golden Cap is the highest point on the south coast of England. Its name comes from the distinctive golden greensand rock layer that forms the pointed summit o
f the cliff, visible from many miles away along the coast and resembling a gold-topped mini Matterhorn. In fact, although it’s a joy to climb the hill, in many ways the best views of it are from afar.
You can make your ascent of Golden Cap from several directions. Straight up from the pretty seaside village of Seatown is the most direct, or park at the National Trust’s Langdon Hill car park and amble through bluebell-filled woodland. The wider estate is beautiful, and there’s a National Trust shop/café on site. You can even start in Lyme Regis and follow the fossil-strewn pebble beaches and ledges past Charmouth. Either join the coast path just after Charmouth or, at low tide, carry on to Westhay Water and ascend there. It’s worth noting that the cliffs along this stretch of the coast are notoriously unstable – please avoid going near to their edges and bases for your safety.
Challenge level:
Location: Langdon Hill car park, Bridport, DT6 6JW
Map: OS Explorer 116
Local Highlights
Fall asleep to the sound of the waves on the pebble shore at Seatown – the campsite is part of a larger holiday park but the location is hard to beat.
Sample the local seafood at the Hive Beach Café, Burton Bradstock.
Explore the Cobb at Lyme Regis, the place that inspired John Fowles to write The French Lieutenant’s Woman.
17 Swim through Durdle Door
In many ways, Durdle Door sums up England’s extraordinary Jurassic Coast: a place shaped by its geology into something intriguing, alluring, and yet also temporary. This is a constantly changing environment, eroded day and night by the relentless sea. The Door itself is formed from a section of harder limestone from which all the softer rock has been washed away. For the past thousand years, the arch has stood strong, but its fragility is echoed by the just-visible remains of former rocky structures dotted all along this section of the coast.
Following the sweeping curve of the bay, the rocky archway steps out into the waves. It’s only a short swim from the shelving shingle beach out beneath the arch, but it’s a real adventure. The water as far as the arch is relatively calm – if you take your goggles you might spot the schools of mackerel that gather in the sheltered bay – but passing through the arch and emerging into the open sea is an exhilarating experience.
Durdle Door sees around 200,000 visitors each year, so a swim is best done out of season or in the early morning or late on a summer evening to avoid the crowds. There are several options to make a longer adventure swim: once through the arch, you can continue along the coast eastwards, either coming in at St Oswald’s Bay, making sure you swim clear of the rocks at Man O’ War Cove, or carrying on past Stair Hole, with its arches and holes formed from Lulworth Crumple – the local ‘folded’ limestone – to reach the scallop shell-shaped Lulworth Cove. Caution: be aware of strong tidal pull and drifting. Do not jump from the arch as there is a submerged reef.
Challenge level: for beach to arch, higher for open-sea swim
Location: Durdle Door, Wareham, BH20 5 (approximate postcode)
OS grid ref: SY 805802
Distance: 330 feet (100m) from beach to arch
Map: OS Explorer OL15
Local Highlights
Durdle Door Holiday Park is large and popular; however, it does have a tents-only area and is perfectly positioned for an early-morning swim.
This section of coast is also great for exploring by kayak. Jurassic Coast Activities leads guided paddles here (www.jurassiccoastactivities.co.uk).
Explore the atmospheric ruins of nearby Corfe Castle (National Trust).
18 Paddle Studland Bay
The sheltered waters of Studland Bay make it a great spot for a relaxed paddle, whether you have your own boat or hire one. In calm weather the water’s amazingly clear, and you can spot seaweed and crabs on the sandy seabed. There are swimming-only areas, ideal for first forays into sea swimming, but with a boat you can head further out and explore this fascinating part of the coast in more detail. The sheltered bay offers relatively safe paddling but there are strong tides further out, so unless you’re an experienced paddler stay well within the marked kayaking area, or join one of the many excellent guided expeditions out to the towering chalk turrets of Old Harry Rocks. There’s also a Kayak Wildlife Trail around the bay that follows the coast through some of the best spots for seeing the local wildlife, including seabirds, seals and dolphins. The official guide, a collaboration between the Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and Studland Sea School, costs £3 and is available from the Studland Sea School HQ on Middle Beach (www.studlandseaschool.co.uk) or the Studland National Trust shop. Kayak and paddleboard hire is available from Studland Watersports (www.studlandwatersports.co.uk) and guided kayaking, foraging, paddleboarding and snorkelling adventures can be booked through Fore/Adventure (www.foreadventure.co.uk).
Challenge level: if staying within marked areas; up to if kayaking on open sea
Location: Middle Beach, Studland Bay,
Dorset, BH19 3AP
Map: OS Explorer OL15
Local Highlights
Have an island adventure on Brownsea in Poole Harbour. Owned by the National Trust, this island is a wildlife reserve and a peaceful yet exciting place to explore. Day trips from Sandbanks/Poole. Holiday cottages/camping also available.
The section of coast path that runs around the headland at Old Harry Rocks is suitable for mountain bikes, so explore the area on two wheels, taking in Corfe Castle, the Purbeck Way and Nine Barrow Down, and the trails at Rempstone.
Stay at Burnbrake Campsite, near Corfe Castle.
19 Bikepack the Wessex Ridgeway
The Wessex Ridgeway Trail is an adventurous route that winds along Dorset’s chalk ridge backbone from the Wiltshire border in the east to the Devon border in the west, with glorious views throughout. The majority of the route follows inviting trails along the grassy escarpment, but in places it drops down into secluded valleys and climbs over green, rounded hills. Each section of the trail has its own unique identity and delights to explore.
At 62 miles (100km) it’s an inviting distance for an adventure too. The on-foot route starts at Ashmore on the Dorset/Wiltshire border and continues to Lyme Regis, whereas the cycling section is a couple of miles shorter, starting at the village of Tollard Royal and ending in Champernhayes, just north of Lyme Regis. The route meanders through wildlife-filled chalk downland, climbs magnificent hillforts such as Hambledon Hill and crosses beautifully clear chalk streams. It passes through pretty villages such as Cerne Abbas and takes in stunning views of the Blackmore and Marshwood vales. The finish at the coast on the dramatic Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site is a well-earned reward for having completed the journey. The route is waymarked throughout with a wyvern – a two-legged dragon associated with the ancient kingdom of Wessex.
Challenge level:
Start: Tollard Royal, Ashbourne, Dorset OS grid ref: ST 943177
Finish: Champernhayes, Bridport, DT6 6DF
Distance: 62 miles/100km
Maps: OS Explorer 116, 117 and 118
Local Highlights
From the finish at Champernhayes, drop down into Lyme Regis for fossil hunting, exploring the beach and a walk along the historic harbour wall, known as the Cobb.
Explore the mountain biking trails in the woods at Shillingstone about halfway along the route (www.okefordhillbikepark.co.uk).
Camp at Hook Farm, a pretty, 20-minute walk up the river from Lyme Regis (hookfarmcamping.com).
Southern & Eastern England
There’s a surprising wealth of outdoor adventure to be found in and around the nation’s capital, from rolling chalk downland to large areas of deciduous woodland, and nearly half of London itself is green space. Further afield, the wild fens, sandy beaches and abundant wildlife of East Anglia are waiting to be explored.
London & Essex
Escaping within London is all about the city’s beautiful parks, from running or cycling the trails around Richmond Park and Wimbledon
Common to a swim in Hyde Park’s Serpentine.
The mighty – but busy – River Thames is a great place to explore by kayak or paddleboard, preferably with an experienced guide.
Outdoor adventures also abound east of London, on Essex’s Chelmer and Blackwater Canal, in Epping Forest and on the National Trust-owned Northey Island.
South- East Coast & the Downs
South of London lie bustling towns and cities, picturesque countryside, rolling hills, dense forests and a long stretch of coastline offering opportunities for trail running, mountain biking and swimming. The South Downs National Park is a perfect weekend escape, while the Isle of Wight is definitely somewhere for those who love their adventures on two wheels.
The Chilterns & the Cotswolds
North-west of London, there’s a wonderful remoteness about the long ridge of the Chilterns, etched with the white trails of the Ridgeway and the Icknield Way, and providing some wonderful places to explore, such as the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate with its running and cycling trails.
Slightly further out, Oxfordshire’s deep rivers wind through lush green landscapes and the Cotswold Way makes its 100-mile (161km) undulating journey through the rolling countryside.
East Anglia
East Anglia comprises Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and offers many glorious beaches, abundant opportunities to spot wildlife, and peaceful rivers to swim in or to explore in a canoe or on a paddleboard. The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads are a unique, wildlife-rich landscape networked by navigable lakes and rivers.