Meadfoot Beach, Torbay
From rockpooling splendour to adventurous swimming, Ju Lewis explains why she loves Meadfoot Beach in Devon
MY FAVOURITE WILD SWIMMING SPOT
Image: Mark Kilburn
My favourite wild swimming spot… hmmm. Living with the Dartfeeding moor on one side of my compass and the sea taking up nearly 180 degrees on the other, I am spoilt for choice with both fresh and salt water. But salt has the edge for me.
My top spot is not truly wild (being half a mile from town), but has plenty of wildlife and a feeling of being away from urban life. At low tide we swim over kelp beds, and there are myriad crabs of many species scuttling below. When the sea is calm the 800m return swim to Shag Rock provides a good challenge – and once there, the barnacle and algal life clinging to the base of this statuesque bird-perch is equally fascinating. In summer the jellyfish seem to pass in streams through the gap between shore and the rock, which can make the swimming more ‘interesting’!