Somerset Swim Retreats

Simon Griffiths took a weekend off racing for some welcome rest and recreation in the South West of England… but it still involved swimming

I should have known better than to try driving from London to Somerset during a heatwave on a Friday afternoon that coincided with a rail strike. The journey took twice as long as expected and left me frazzled and exhausted. Luckily I was heading to the perfect place to relax and unwind: a swim retreat at Manor Farm, near Chard.

Because of the traffic, we arrived too late for the welcome drinks. Instead we made our way to Seaton on the Devon coast for dip and stroll along the promenade. My spirits recovered immediately. Others on the retreat, who had arrived earlier, managed a longer swim followed by a cliff path walk to Beer, which looked lovely. We regrouped back at Manor Farm for a home-cooked evening meal and a chance to get to know our fellow guests.

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Somerset Swim Retreats was set up by NOWCA founder Rick Kiddle and his wife Clare. The Manor Farm is their family home as well as the focal point for the weekend. A key feature is the 25m long natural swimming pool that Rick dug out and built almost single-handedly. Not only does it look amazing, there’s also a sauna to warm up in after swimming.

On Saturday morning we set off early to avoid the crowds and headed to Lyme Regis for a swim around the bay. As the majority of the guests on this trip were relatively new to sea swimming we stayed within the protected swimming area, which was ideal. More experienced swimming groups could request longer swims. Our guides provided support and coaching from paddle boards.

We spent the afternoon relaxing back at Manor Farm enjoying the pool and exploring the local area. If you like walking or cycling, it’s worth taking a look at the Stop Line Way, a long distance walking and cycle path that runs past the farm.

You can still see remains of concrete posts and pillboxes built during World War 2 as a defence against a feared German invasion in the South West.

Alternatively (or additionally), get some one-to-one stroke improvement coaching in the pool. There was also a yoga session.

For Sunday morning there was a choice between hanging out at the farm, with more pool swimming and coaching, or heading back to the coast for another cliff walk and swim. We chose the latter before returning to the farm for lunch, which marked the official end of the weekend. However, we were reluctant to leave and lingered another couple of hours by the pool before braving the slog through the traffic back to London.

Currently there are dates for retreats through to October. There’s also the option to organise bespoke trips.

Find out more at somersetswimretreats.com