By: Blonde Two
Most of us have a little luxury in our heads, something that we suspect we will never have, but like to imagine that we will. Mine would be a swimming pool, more specifically a heated, outdoor swimming pool, and I would quite like it to have one of those motors that creates a current that you can swim against.
Silly me, I have spent time wondering what swimming in such a current (or ‘endless’) pool would feel like; when all I needed to do was find a river and swim in that. (I would like to point out here, that there are heated rivers available, for example the Ardeche in August was pretty warm).
Dartmoor rivers however are definitely not heated, although the Dart did a good job of being under-cold (not warm, but not head-achingly freezing) last week when Mr B2 and I scrambled and slipped (well he walked) down a steep hill to find our chosen pool. The pool was just lovely, it had everything a Blonde could want (although maybe not enough heating for Mr B2 to stay in long); there were rocks to sunbathe on, clear water, fish, patches of dappled shade and a waterfall that provided just the right amount of current for a good work-out.
I am not going to tell you the name of the pool; those of you who know Dartmoor well will recognise it. For the rest of you, if you buy Sophie Pierce and Matt Newbury’s new book, ‘Wild Swimming Walks, Dartmoor and South Devon’ you will be able to work it out.
