Naomi Ness is a mature student journalist at the University of Gloucestershire studying her Bachelor of Arts Degree and National Council for the Training of Journalists Diploma alongside the competing demands of raising her family of two children and training as a triathlete.

Prior to embarking on her studies, she worked in communications for 13 years. She is passionate about promoting women, especially mums, into health and fitness.

Here she shares her experience of wild swimming in the Cotswolds along with a few tips on some great places to take the plunge. 

I take a tentative step into the water, cold rushes instantly around my ankles. "Ooft that’s crisp," I think to myself. I wade a little deeper and submerge my hands first, then slowly lower myself into the shallows and sit down. I let my breathing become easy and after adjusting my goggles, push off into a comfortable front crawl. 

As a triathlete, I’ve spent the last nine years swimming outdoors, but no matter how experienced a swimmer you are, respect for the water is paramount. As a passionate open water wild swimmer, and cheerleader of people participating in health and fitness, you can often find me at the various lakes around the Cotswolds between April and October.  

Wild swimming in the UK has surged in popularity since the pandemic, driven by a boom in outdoor wellness, social media communities, and a growing appetite for accessible, year-round connection with nature. 

The current temperature at Cleveland Lakes at Cotswold Water Park, near Cirencester, was just over 14C in April 2026. According to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), anything below 15C is considered cold water, while average UK sea temperatures typically sit around 12C. 

With the recent heat wave hitting the UK, many wild swim venues have publicised the dangers of swimming in open water that is not designated specifically for open water activities. It may be tempting, in hot weather, but many water sources can be dangerous with hidden objects underneath. Cold temperatures cause cold water shock, and there can be unexpected currents.  

Cold water shock is the body’s involuntary response to sudden immersion in cold water and it can quickly become life-threatening. Blood vessels constrict, heart rate increases, and breathing can become difficult to control, all of which significantly increase the risk of heart attack or drowning even in young healthy people. 

Fortunately, there are several managed venues around Cheltenham where swimmers can enjoy open water safely and confidently when temperatures start to rise and people naturally gravitate to the water.  

Where to wild swim safely 

Cleveland Lakes opened to the public for wild swimming in April 2026 and all proceeds go directly towards supporting the stunning wetland landscape of the Cotswold Lakes Trust which protects, enhances and conserves the lakes, making them a rich natural environment, essential not only for wildlife, but also the local community.  

Having swum in Cleveland Lake for the first time in May, I’ll definitely be back. The water is strikingly clear; even at the deepest points, I could still see the pale lake bed beneath me the entire way around the 500-metre loop, which is unusual for a lake of this size.  

Lake 86 also forms part of the Cotswold Lakes, which currently consists of 180 lakes spread over 42 square miles. They offer ‘faff-free water sports hire, a chilled experience and good times’. This is one of my personal favourites offering 400-metre and 800-metre loops and great stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking facilities during the summer season.

A small lakeside coffee hut serves hot drinks and pancakes afterwards, which is a welcome reward after a cold-water swim, and the staff are super friendly. 

Wild swimming and more 

If you’re looking for more than wild swimming, Lake 32 offers a wide range of activities including stand-up paddleboarding, in addition to raft building, kayaking, a man-made beach area, play park and more. Their lake is ideal for beginner wild swimmers as they offer smaller swimming loops and buddies to accompany you, which helps to build confidence. They also host the Blue Tits, and the Blue Bloods, inclusive social swim communities for women and men, respectively.  

On the north side of Cheltenham towards Worcestershire, Watersedge in Pershore and Lenches Lakes in Evesham also offer fantastic facilities for an array of water activities with Watersedge recently launching silent disco and wild swim nights.  

As I climb out of the lake, skin tingling from the cold and mind noticeably calmer, I’m reminded why more people are turning to wild swimming each year. Done safely, it offers something increasingly rare, a chance to disconnect from busy lives and reconnect with the natural world around us.