Chagford: The last of the lidos

Saturday: Chagford
The last of the lidos

Having left the luxury of our Cotswolds yurt, we camped in Buckfastleigh on Friday night and hastily packed up on Saturday morning as the black clouds drew in from all directions. The walk on Dartmoor was abandoned over coffee and teacakes as a much more appealing plan was hatched with my husband (who shall now be known as Lars for reasons I cannot possibly explain): drive North to Chagford where the weather is better, walk by the river until mid afternoon when the LIDO opens (big big SMILE) and go for a last swim before continuing to Ilfracombe for the evening.

Chagford is a quaint village in the middle of Dartmoor with lovely shops and cafes, and an even lovelier lido. The lido http://www.chagfordpool.co.uk/ is just out of the village on a country lane, surrounded by fields. It's almost as simple as lidos come, except that it recently had a new liner which the lido lady said has made a big difference to the temperature of the water and the general swimming experience. It's fed by the river which runs beside it and it's heated.. a bit.

We arrived after a stormy afternoon (during which Lars impersonated Darth Vader in his big black poncho as we walked beside the river) and it was still drizzling as I popped my head around the shed-like reception to ask if they were still open. The answer was a bit ambiguous; "Well, we might close early and you'd have to get out if it's thundering", but yes, they were open.

I dragged Lars, kicking and screaming out of the car, paid the £8 fee for two swims, doubling their profits for the day, and found the ladies. It was like stepping back in time to PE lessons, 1985. The facilities at Chagford are basic. There are no hot showers, which I failed to mention to Lars until we got out of the pool, (oops) and no Bristol-style cotton curtains and shiny clasps for privacy in the changing rooms, but this all adds to the experience.

The pool is gorgeous. The liner really does make a difference. It's soft under foot, and the river water feels... soft too. We have the whole pool to ourselves and we revel in the space and peace, swimming miles away from each other, just because we can. The sky clears as we swim until it looks just like the lido's logo, which you can purchase on a mug to take away with you, (if you have a lovely husband who will buy you one).

You can also purchase a cup of tea from the little shed which is served in a Chagford swimming pool mug, so we do, and snuggle on the bench (we do like each other really, I just like my space when I'm swimming), chatting to the lovely lido ladies.

It's with a touch of sadness that we leave Chagford, as it means the end to our lido tour of the South West. (Don't despair, I have a cunning plan which involves Ilkley lido and a bike ride in a few weeks time, so watch this space.) 

We have a long debate in Netti on the drive up to Ilfracombe about our favourite lido, and both come to the conclusion that we LOVED them all (when I say "we", that's me really). Lars thinks he liked Cheltenham the best, and though he goes into detail about the size and lanes and swimming, I know it's really because of the very expensive picnic and the ICE CREAM.

For me, there was something very special about being that person swimming across Tinside Lido, (the one in Kate Rew's book who I have envied for years), but I did love them all. Cheltenham for its swimability, Bristol for its shiny clasps, Cirencester because we didn't have to cycle 35 miles to get there, (and the lovely lifeguards), Tinside, well, it's just sooo BIG and blue, and last, but definitely not least, Chagford, for its softness (and, did I mention its mugs?). 

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Tinside Lido: The Big Blue One

Friday: Tinside Lido, Plymouth

The Big Blue One

I have been yearning to swim in Tinside lido ever since I was first wowed by the amazing photographs in Kate Rew’s Wild Swim. As far as lidos go, this appeared to be the cream; massive, art deco, unheated, salt water and located right on the edge of the Atlantic ocean. It did not disappoint.

Hubby and I left our yurt in the pouring rain and drove a loaded Hetti down to Plymouth, bargaining with the weather Gods for a sunny afternoon. And sunshine it did, so that we were greeted with a spectacular first sighting of the lido: sparkling, blue, sooo BIG and empty. Empty of people that is, not of water, that would have been a HUGE disappointment.

I could barely contain myself and galloped up the street to the newly installed lift which drops you down to sea level and makes the lido accessible for anyone who cannot manage the steps. The physio in me finds this very pleasing and gives the lido bonus points for accessibility, until the lift won’t work! I then have to gallop down the steps, trying not to look desperate (I am now worried that in the few extra minutes it takes to get there the lido will have filled with a school party of non-lido-appreciating kids) and trying to wait for hubby, who lacks the child-like excitement I have for getting cold and wet.

We pay the lady on reception, and I whizz around like Superman in my changing cubicle to get into my cossie and into the water as fast as I can.

There is one 50m lane that runs across the widest part of the pool, next to the fountain (extra bonus points for a fountain, which promptly get removed when I discover that the turbulence caused by the fountain throws me off course on every length.) There is a stalwart swimmer, breast-stroking up and down next to the lane, and a small but very fast dolphin-like child who does a few speedy lengths to show us up. Other than that, husband and I have the whole pool to ourselves.

It’s gorgeous! Salty, cold, choppy (due to the wind and fountain combo) and it’s so big. I manage 20 lengths in wiggly lines and a bit of underwater exploration around the curve before I am too cold and head for the hot showers. Then we spend an hour or so drinking tea from the “hole in the wall” cafe, wrapped in our down jackets, faces to the sun. 

I love it here, I love the view, I love the lines and the curves, I love the blue of the stripes and the sky and the white of the walls and the clouds. I take my own photos and I discover that it’s not the photographer which makes them look good, it’s Tinside lido.

Cirencester lido: it's sick!

Wednesday

Cirencester Lido: Simple stuff

We cycled the 6 or 7 miles from our yurt to Cirencester on quiet country lanes in more glorious sunshine. The lido is not easy to find. It’s signed, then not signed, then suddenly signed again by the most beautifully ornate sign which leads you to believe this will be on a par with Cheltenham lido... It’s not, but, it has its own charms.

The lido sits behind the castle, creating a dramatic backdrop down one side. There is a large patio area scattered with benches and picnic tables, and you can make use of them with your pot noodle from the “Tuck Shop” after your swim if you are so inclined. We settled for cups of tea with homemade flapjack.

The pool measures 27m in length. It’s heated to about the same number of degrees and on a hot day, is the perfect temperature. It was full of the youth of Cirencester who presumably had finished their exams. (I don’t think they skive in Cirencester.) I don’t think it’s very cool for the youth to actually swim in a swimming pool either. They just sort of hang out in their clusters of similarly looking youths. As a result, swimming lengths was a bit of a navigational challenge.

The lifeguard staff at Cirencester are however very nice, and after witnessing a couple of near misses between my head and the backside of a youth or two, they offered to put a lane in! Never, at any other lido have I been offered my own lane. In true youth lingo, this was sick!

I swam up and down in the comfort of my lane, then joined hubby on a bench which we angled to the sun, tried to complete the Guardian crossword without a pen and youth-watched to our great amusement.

So go to Cirencester lido, claim a bench in the sun, ask for a lane if you prefer straight line swimming, eat a pot noodle if you must, and don’t forget 20p for a hot shower.

Bristol lido: it's a lido Jim, but not as we know it!

Tuesday: now the proper adventure really begins...

A night in the yurt at “Mole End” is an adventure in itself. It’s set on a decking platform in the trees on the edge of the Golden Valley. There is a little walk through a beautiful meadow of wild orchids and daisies, and field of friendly cows (I have overcome my cow phobia!) to find it, and at night, the path is gently lit by solar powered lamps. The kitchen on the decking has views of the sunset, and is well equipped with teapot, cafetiere and other Guardian reader cooking essentials.

The toilet is “composting” and set comfortably away from the yurt in a little wooden hut with a sculpted door, beautiful ceramic jug and bowl for washing and Neal’s Yard hand wash. It’s really no hardship.

Anyway, back to the lidotourbybike... we set off early on our bikes for the 35 mile cycle to Bristol lido. We were blessed with sunshine, a straightforward route and a tail wind and made it in just over 3 hours.

Bristol lido...ahhhh!: it’s a lido Jim, but not as we know it! This is lido luxury. A gorgeous heated infinity pool, surrounded on two sides by relaxed cafe seating and above by the excellent restaurant. Opposite is a run of outdoor changing cubicles, each “en suite” with its own over overhead shower, branded  lido toiletries (you have to wash naked before getting into the lido due to its extremely low chlorine levels) and heavy duty stripy curtain with special shiny metal claps (I love a shiny metal clasp) so that even in this very open communal space, you can secure it at either side and be truly private.

There is a luscious hot tub perched out of the way in the sunshine and there are sauna and steam room with windows looking out over the pool. I moseyed between these and the pool, lying on the lovely decking in the sun. There was no need for swimming laps after the cycle there (and we still had to get back). Anyway, it’s not what you’d call a “swimming pool”. A lane would spoil the aesthetics!

The restaurant is however every bit a restaurant. The two course lunch was to die for. Homemade potato bread, plaice with samphire, clams and other munchous stuff. If you are ever in Bristol, go here, to “swim”, relax, wash in the oxymoron of open-privacy and eat. It’s a hidden gem.

The longest daze

Saturdaynightsundayday: The longest daze

In preparation for our lido tour and to end the longest day, husband and I came up with a mini adventure plan. A swim at the lovely Hathersage lido http://www.hathersageswimmingpool.co.uk/ in the early hours, at the end of their 24 hour solstice opening, followed by a walk along Stanage Edge to watch the sunrise. It seemed like such a good idea in the daylight and during normal waking hours!

40 lengths at 2am is interesting. The water had an eerie smokiness to it, making it tricky to swim in a straight line, or was that just the sleep deprivation? The “laps” lane was fairly quiet (believe it or not!), but the rest of the pool was buzzing. There was a game of water polo going on, teens doing water-type acrobatics and the odd head-up breast-stroker meandering up and down. I think I like it better in the daylight, for many reasons.

The dawn twilight on Stanage is however amazing. It’s different from any other light. The green of the ferns was vivid against the dark shadows of the gritstone edge. We walked to the trig in a bit of a daze. I felt slightly detached from my body, but it was worth the weird feeling for the views of the hills and the city and we stood on the rocks breathing them in.

Sunday continued after a short sleep with the epic packing of Netti theYeti, and the beginning of the adventure: a night at the youth hostel in Stratford-Upon-Avon  (highly recommended , even when shared with sixty primary school kids!) and an evening’s entertainment at the RSC watching John Grant live in concert. Now I would not wish to deceive you at this point. I had no idea who John Grant was until last night, it is my musically knowledgeable husband who knows these things, but apparently he’s quite a legend. I can tell you this much: he looks like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, clearly has hypermobile hands (once a physiotherapist, always a physiotherapist), and has a voice like honey.

Monday: Sandford Park lido... poshy poshy!
http://www.sandfordparkslido.org.uk/

I was soooo excited about visiting our first lido – Sandford park in the grand town of Cheltenham (poshy poshy, as hubby would say), but first we needed a trip to the local deli for picnic provisions. £10.40 for a bit of bread and cheese! Poshy poshy alright. I had to ask if it was right, which is always really embarrassing when it is!

Anyway, back to the lido, the gorgeous, massive 50m, heated pool that is Sandford Park and has been since 1935. It is surrounded by manicured lawns and borders, there’s a separate kids’ pool hidden out of the way, there are lanes for slow swimmers, medium swimmers, training swimmers and “tri”. They are NOT just ‘avin a go, they’re the FAST ones. There are lovely hot showers, oldy woldy outdoorsy wooden cubicles, and at the far end, a cafe where you can keep your non-lido loving husband happy with an icecream. There is also a slide, which doesn’t look steep or fast until you get to the top, and then it’s too late... AAAAAAH!

We set up camp on the lawn in the hot sun and then slipped into the delicious 28 degree water. “I’m only doin’ a k” came the call from hubby in the medium lane. My head was already under, loving the sensation as I thought “I might do two!”

Ambushed by the river warden!

The Guardian newspaper has stolen my idea! I only posted my first, erm, whadoyacallem? post? on Thursday, and today they have devoted the back page of the travel section to "UK lidos and urban swims". I would now enter a link (as I am au fait with this button), but I think you will find a much better review here in a week's time, so I'll leave you to find it for yourselves.

So, officially the adventure starts tomorrow, but with it being Solstice and all that, I thought it only proper to start the longest day with a wild swim in the gorgeous river Derwent http://wildswim.com/river-derwent-chatsworth-park.

Carla, Louise, Tom and I donned our wetsuits before the crowds arrive and slithered our way gingerly into the surprisingly cold, but silky smooth water. We swam to the weir and bobbed around for a minute, feeling the gentle pull of the current and the calm of the early morning, then, our hat covered heads like shiny coloured balls on the water, we retraced our strokes to the bank.

A lovely river warden gave us a wave as we got out, and shouted across the river that wetsuits are not allowed for swimming there. "Bit late now" I thought, assuming he was joking.

We changed by the river in the glorious sunshine, entertaining the early morning dog walkers with our attempts to get out of a wetsuit gracefully, and trying to estimate distance and water temperature (I guessed at 800m and a good 19 degrees going on the lack of teeth chattering and numbness). We wandered back along the river, oblivious to what was about to occur, admiring the upside down man doing yoga by the water's edge.

The AMBUSH by the lovely river warden happened without warning! He blocked our path with his pick up truck, scared us with his bucket full of American signal crayfish and gave us a leaflet! He wasn't joking about the wetsuit thing after all. Apparently, the signal crayfish are wiping out the UK white-clawed crayfish in the river Derwent, and we could be spreading the eggs on our wetsuits to other rivers which have not yet been contaminated!

Tom wanted to know if you could eat the American crayfish, (Nope! Well not the ones in the bucket. They had to be killed cos of some licence thingy, sorry Tom) and I wanted to know if it was ok to swim there without a wetsuit, (also nope, not really encouraged.) At this point, the upside down yoga man slipped into the water for a swim. NOT upside down. That would be... difficult.

So, the take home story is this: swimming in the Derwent is not encouraged, but as demonstrated nicely by the yoga man, no-one can really stop you. The crayfish thing is important (If you want to know more about it, here's a link http://www.nonnativespecies.org/checkcleandry/)  and nothing to do with lovely river wardens wanting to convert us to truely, Kate Rew-skinny dip style, wild swimmers http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/jun/13/uk.skinnydipping.swimming. Ps, and I'm whispering if you can imagine that, I personally think this link's a bit more interesting than the other one, but that's just my opinion. 

I love a good list.

Welcome to my blog about a cycle tour of the lidos of the South West of England.

My name is Jen and I am a lover of swimming and cycling. I am also a lover of running, but the lidos of the South West are too far flung to run between them all, so I have had to resort to favourite sport number 3.

On Sunday, my husband and I are about to embark on a really cool holiday/mini adventure. We're heading down to the Cotswolds in "Netti the Special Edition Adventure Yeti" to start our tour of the many beautiful lidos with which this part of the country appears to have been gifted. Lucky South West people! We are basing ourselves in a yurt... I always wanted to stay in a yurt!... in Chalford and we will be cycling to and from the lidos in a kind of "hub and spoke" manner.

I'm going to review each trip. The cycle and the lido with facts, figures, photos and my own personal opinions of the day. I may include some comments from my knowledgeable other half, who feels that the history of the lido may also be of interest to readers! I suspect each lido trip will also involve some serious coffee and cake stops, so I'll be telling you about those too with cake ratings from hubby.

I have been inspired by some lovely books; Kate Rew's Wild Swim and The Wild Guide to Devon, Cornwall and the South West; maps (I love maps), blogs...well blog really (Jenny Landreth's Swimming Round London http://swimmingroundlondon.blogspot.co.uk/) and my own personal experience of lido swimming in the UK and New Zealand.

There has been some serious planning. I've written my list (I love a good list) and the packing is about to commence, but before I put my last cossie in the bag, hubby and I plan to have a practice swim in Hathersage lido http://www.hathersageswimmingpool.co.uk/ on Sunday morning at their Solstice Swim, just in time for sunrise.