Swimming spot: Anstey’s Cove to Redgate Beach and the hidden pool, Torbay, Devon

Devon authors Matt Newbury and Sophie Pierce have published a new guidebook to magical swims in Torbay. Here they share one of their favourites.

A swim from Anstey’s Cove to the officially closed Redgate Beach has a slightly naughty air to it – the kind of oldschool adventure that we wild swimmers thrive on.

In order to access the pool, you will need to do this swim on high water, when the cove also looks its sparkling best. The adventure begins with a magical walk down to the beach.

Start your swim

The swim itself starts from the tiny rocky beach below the café. This area was popular with rich Victorians, whose servants had the unenviable task of lugging down huge baskets of picnic food to enjoy, as hardworking fisherman mended their nets nearby. Indeed the Queen of Crime (and thanks to her passion for wild swimming – Queen of the Brine) Agatha Christie recalls a romantic moonlit picnic here in her autobiography.

Swim out of the little cove alongside the promenade on your left until you reach Redgate Beach. No longer accessible to walkers, it makes a great stop-off point for swimmers who can relax on this stunning sand and shingle beach, which is usually deserted unless anyone else has paddled in from an anchored yacht or attempted to scramble down the dangerous cliffs.

It’s a wonderful suntrap and a great place to close your eyes and drift back in time, perhaps hearing the playful echoes of children’s laugher, the gentle chug of the small ferry that once serviced the beach, the yelps of families braving the cool waters and the excited chatter as people queued for ice creams at the busy little kiosk. In the past we have tried to recreate these halcyon days by hosting 1970s and 1980s themed swim parties at the beach.

After relaxing on the beach, you can set off for the next stage of the swim. Head out along the left hand (northern) side of Redgate Beach, towards the pointed fang protruding from Long Quarry Point.

Just past the pinnacle there is a narrow channel where the combination of the rocks and the light makes the water a particularly intense turquoise. Swim into the channel and at the end you will find a gap above a large segment of rock. Climb over the rock and you will find a concealed cave with a perfect, hidden, swimming pool, complete with a natural skylight in the roof.

After enjoying a paddle in this secret pool, return to the start by swimming across the incredibly clear waters of the bay. Then enjoy some refreshments in the fantastic Anstey’s Cove Café.

Wild Swimming Torbay by Matt Newbury and Sophie Pierce is published by Wild Things Publishing. Readers can receive 25% discount and free P&P with code OSMag23 at wildthingspublishing.com