Sheffield is great for... swimming outdoors
Please note - this blog post dates from 2019 and so some links or info may be out of date. Lots of it isn’t though! So hope it’s helpful for you! Sign up to our ebulletin to keep in touch with our more recent news!
Harland Works is based in Sheffield, which is a great city for many things, including proximity to places to swim outdoors.
We are enjoying the hottest bank holiday weekend ever (apparently) … good job we live in Sheffield then :) Sheffielders who enjoy cooling off by taking a dip outdoors are spoilt for choice. Only minutes away by car, and easily accessed by bus and bike, there are many, many places you can get cool with a blissful swim in some river, lake, canal, reservoir or pond water not far from the city.
Want some ideas? Some spots are probably best avoided on a hot bank holiday if you don’t want to swim with crowds. But, as so many people in Sheffield enjoy swimming outdoors, you can find lots of hints and tips on where to go being shared online to help you avoid the crowds.
One of the best sources is the facebook page of SOUP - Sheffield Outdoor Plungers group. The group organise social swims together, and have a combined ‘knowledge’ about where to swim which is hard to beat. Earlier this summer Owen Haeman published a fab map in the group’s facebook page. It lists (with grid references) 31 places to swim locally.
If you search for their facebook page you can post a request to join the group to get access to this amazing map, and lots more useful resources.
Owen, who put the map together, says:
“In general I would like the info [on the map] to only be accessible through SOUP, as it means that the info is only accessible to people willing to join the group. The group is open to everyone, but it means that people are aware of the community and we can promote safe and responsible swimming to everyone who uses the map. By having it within the group it's editable and updatable with swimmers information and photos. That way people are always viewing the most up to date version, and people don't get out of date information, like you do with a book.”
Owen has also highlighted which swimming places on the list are easier to access to help people who are less mobile than others.
Here are some other places that offer suggestions (although not quite as comprehensive as SOUP!):
Yorkshire Outdoor Swimmers venue at Harthill Reservoir - good if you want to try swimming outdoors with help on hand
And you can try looking up ‘wild swimming round Sheffield’ in the threads on the Sheffield Forum too.
Happy swimming - and keep safe. SOUP recommends these sources for safety tips, particularly when swimming in icy conditions. Although, happily, that seems a long way off this hot bank holiday weekend!
“There’s many great articles on outdoor swimming safety on LoneSwimmer.com, and under the ‘Survive’ tab on OutdoorSwimmingSociety.com. Read the ‘Top Tips for Successful Recovery After Winter Swimming’ document in the ‘Files’ section of this group.”