Top Wild Swimming Spots Day Trips from Preston
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Wild Swimming Spots Day Trips from Preston include Gaddings Dam, Grassington Weir, Loup Scar, River Wharfe, Ibbeth Peril, Mermaid's Pool, Hell Gill Beck and Coniston Secret Swimming Spot.
Preston is well placed for a swim in wild water, with the Pennines, the Yorkshire Dales, the Peak District and the Lakes all within a day's reach. Closest is east, where Gaddings Dam sits high on the moors above Todmorden.
Push on east and northeast into the Yorkshire Dales and the choices multiply: the weir at Grassington, the gorge pool at Loup Scar, the family reach of the Wharfe near Appletreewick, and the dark plunge pool at Ibbeth Peril on the Dee in Dentdale. Southeast lies Mermaid's Pool, a legend-soaked tarn on Kinder Scout in the Peak District, while northeast Hell Gill Beck cuts a dramatic limestone slot at the head of Mallerstang.
Furthest north, the quiet lake at Coniston opens up the southern Lakes. These range from gentle river paddles to serious gorge-scrambling, so choose to suit the day and the weather.
Pack warm layers, check conditions, and give yourself plenty of time. Here are eight wild swimming spots for a day trip from Preston.
Gaddings Dam
Photo: Steve Partridge via Geograph.org.uk
Gaddings Dam is an old mill reservoir set high on the moors above Todmorden in West Yorkshire, more than a thousand feet up on open, windswept ground. A small strip of sandy beach runs along one side, often called the highest in Britain, and it pulls wild swimmers up the steep climb to the water.
When it faced being drained, local people bought it outright to save it. There is no road up and nothing in the way of facilities, only moorland stretching off on every side.
Wear stout boots and expect a cold wind at the top.
Grassington Weir
Photo: Philip Barker via Geograph.org.uk
Grassington Weir is a swimming and paddling spot on the River Wharfe just below Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales, set on a grassy riverside common you reach from the Linton Falls footbridge. Here the river spills over two weirs and a stone slide beside the natural rapids of Linton Falls, with the finest swimming to be had in the pool above the upper weir.
That upper weir also drives a small hydro station raised on the site of an earlier one. The Wharfe can swell quickly after rain, so the water may change in a hurry.
Pick a settled day and enjoy the river.
Loup Scar
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Loup Scar is a short limestone gorge in Wharfedale, in the Yorkshire Dales, where the River Wharfe pinches in and threads between rocky cliffs just upstream of Burnsall village. Beneath the crags sits a deep pool that swimmers take to on warm days, reached by a brief riverside walk from Burnsall bridge along the Dales Way.
Between the handsome rock and the clear water, it has become a well-liked picnic spot too. Local legend links the gorge to an eighteenth-century murder, the victim's body said to have drifted down the river and been recovered here.
A characterful stretch of the Wharfe to linger by.
River Wharfe
Photo: Stephen Craven via Geograph.org.uk
River Wharfe has a gentle reach running through the Yorkshire Dales below the village of Appletreewick, heading on toward Barden Bridge, and it is a well-liked family swimming and paddling spot. Along here the river opens into a rocky pool with a little island, a shingle beach and easy rapids upstream, edged by grassy banks and a rope swing.
You can walk in on the riverside footpath from Appletreewick or from a nearby campsite. Hidden rocks make diving risky, but this is a gentler, safer reach than the notorious Strid a few miles downstream near Bolton Abbey.
Wade in and enjoy a lazy afternoon.
Ibbeth Peril
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Ibbeth Peril marks a spot on the River Dee in Dentdale, in the Yorkshire Dales, where the water spills over a limestone ledge into a deep, dark plunge pool. Wild swimmers make use of it, though the river can rise fast and turn dangerous after rain.
Right beside the fall opens the mouth of Ibbeth Peril Cave, a real cave system that cavers go down to explore. Woodland and rock close in around the pool, which lies only a short distance off the road running up the dale.
Choose a dry, settled spell and tread carefully.
Mermaid's Pool
Photo: Peter McDermott via Geograph.org.uk
Mermaid's Pool The story goes that a mermaid lives in these dark peaty waters and surfaces only around Easter, granting everlasting life to whoever wins her favour and pulling the unlucky under. Older tales even swear the pool is salty, joined to the sea by some hidden passage, all of it folklore rather than fact.
The real pool lies out on the open moor on the western flank of Kinder Scout, below the falling water of Kinder Downfall in the Peak District. There are no facilities and no easy way in, only a walk over boggy ground, usually from Hayfield.
Wild and brooding, it earns its legends.
Hell Gill Beck
Photo: John Illingworth via Geograph.org.uk
Hell Gill Beck tumbles off the high moor at the head of Mallerstang, on the border of Cumbria and North Yorkshire, and turns into the young River Eden once it drops below its falls. Its best-known stretch is Hell Gill, a narrow, deep slot carved into limestone where the beck runs cave-like between towering walls, working through a series of small falls and pools.
Just below, Hell Gill Force plunges about eight metres to mark where the Eden begins. The slot is a recognised gorge-scrambling route, tackled with ropes and wetsuits, and it grows dangerous in high water.
This one is strictly for experienced parties.
Coniston Secret Swimming Spot
Photo: Ian Taylor via Geograph.org.uk
Coniston Secret Swimming Spot Near the southern end of the lake lies Peel Island, a well-known target for a swim out from the bank. It is one of several places along Coniston Water's five miles where swimmers slip in from pebbled edges and jetties, though launches and cruisers do share the water, so keep watch.
This long, quiet lake sits in the southern Lake District, ringed by wooded shore and open fell. If the boats are too much, Beacon Tarn on the fell to the west offers a smaller, quieter stretch to yourself, a proper lake swim or a still tarn dip, your choice.
FAQs
Which wild swimming spot is closest to Preston?
Gaddings Dam, high on the moors above Todmorden in West Yorkshire, is the nearest at around forty-two kilometres east of Preston. It does need a steep walk up from the road, as no track reaches the reservoir.
Are any of these spots good for families?
Yes. The reach of the River Wharfe near Appletreewick is a gentle, popular family spot with a shingle beach and rope swing, far safer than the Strid downstream, though submerged rocks mean you should wade rather than dive.
Do the Dales rivers get dangerous after rain?
They can. The Wharfe at Grassington and the Dee at Ibbeth Peril both rise fast after heavy rain, and Hell Gill at Mallerstang is a gorge best left to experienced parties, so always check conditions before leaving Preston.
Conclusion
From the sandy beach at Gaddings Dam to the quiet shores of Coniston, Preston swimmers are spoilt for choice across the Pennines, the Dales, the Peak and the Lakes. Some spots, like the family reach of the Wharfe near Appletreewick, are gentle and welcoming; others, like the gorge at Hell Gill, are serious ground for experienced, well-equipped parties only.
Wherever you head, the water runs cold, and Dales rivers such as the Wharfe and the Dee can rise fast and turn dangerous after rain, so check conditions and never swim alone in doubt. Bring warm layers for afterwards and carry your litter home.
From the moors above Todmorden to the Lakeland fells, these are the wild swimming spots for a day trip from Preston.
