The joy of a private swimming lake just steps from your stay

Rewilded lake with wellness focus 

The Duck's Den grew from owner Jay's desire to create a different kind of escape rather than just another cookie cutter countryside cabin, where wellness isn’t treated as an afterthought but integrated into the experience from the beginning. After returning from London during the pandemic, he rediscovered the landscape he'd grown up in and set about creating a place where other people could do the same. 

That vision comes to life in the natural wild swimming lake sitting less than 100 metres from the cabin. Swim whenever you like, take the paddleboards or rowing boat out for a spin, then warm up in the lakeside sauna before ending the day in the outdoor bath beneath the stars. Surrounded by rewilded woodland and 200 acres of nature, it's the kind of place that encourages you to spend more time moving, breathing fresh air and most importantly, feeling good.

Wildlife pond beside meadow cabin 

There's something wonderfully old-fashioned and nostalgic about spending a day beside a pond. It offers a good reminder that human beings were perfectly capable of entertaining themselves before smartphones arrived. At Gosling Lodge, the pond sits directly outside the cabin, surrounded by meadow and enough wildlife to keep even the most committed doom-scroller away from whatever fresh crisis is unfolding in the group chat. 

The pond is fed by a natural flow of water, creating a clean, thriving habitat that's as popular with wildlife as it is with swimmers, shared with the occasional duck and dragonfly. Take the rowing boat out or spend a warm afternoon drifting between swims and lying out on the deck listening to music on the radio.

Woodland lake with wild seclusion 

Built beside its own private lake in the wild landscapes of Mid Wales, Green Retreat is a wild swimmers paradise. Surrounded by pine woodland and tucked into a sheltered valley, the cabin sits right on the water's edge, with a jetty for dangling your feet above the ripples and a kayak waiting for slower explorations between swims. 

The beauty of staying here is how naturally the lake becomes part of your day. Start the morning with a few strokes while the wood-fired hot tub warms up, spend the afternoon paddling along the shoreline, then cool off from your day with a dip before settling around the firepit for dinner. With nothing but trees reflected in the water, it's the kind of place that reminds you why people fall in love with swimming outdoors in the first place.

Off-grid loch with total privacy 

Set beside a private loch with views across the Rule Valley, this off-grid retreat makes it easy to spend entire days outdoors. It gives guests the sort of swimming experience that’s increasingly difficult to find. Instead of anxiously scanning for pollution warnings or wondering if you’re accidentally trespassing, you’ve got beautiful water and not another soul in sight. It feels like your own personal slice of the Borders. 

Most guests find the loch quickly becomes the centre of the stay. Start the day with a cold-water dip, paddle out after lunch on the provided boards or simply sit beside the water watching the weather move across the valley. Because the whole place is off-grid and surrounded by open countryside, life feels very peaceful here and wild swimming becomes the perfect way to inhabit the landscape. And if you put in an order from the owners farm shop before you arrive, you won’t need to leave at all.

Spring-fed pond in wildlife haven 

If your ideal swimming companion is a kingfisher rather than another person, At the Pond should be high on your list. Hidden within a thriving wildlife oasis in rural Somerset, this spring-fed swimming pond sits just beyond the cabin deck, connected by a long jetty that practically dares you not to run and launch yourself into the water before you've even unpacked your bag. 

The water sits at the heart of everything here. Swim out from the jetty while the kettle boils, float beneath open skies and keep an eye out for deer, owls, foxes and the long list of creatures that call this place home. The owners have even worked with neighbouring farms to increase biodiversity across the landscape. The water is clean, private and only shared with the wildlife, making every swim feel wonderfully uninterrupted.

Lakeside cabin with direct access 

If your ideal holiday involves spending as much time as possible near water, The Boat House Cabin makes a compelling case for never leaving. Set beside a large freshwater lake, the cabin comes with direct access to wild swimming, rowing and paddleboarding, all without needing to pack the car or check a parking app. 

The lake sits right outside your door, ready for morning swims, lazy floats in the rowing boat or paddleboarding sessions beneath open skies. Afterwards, retreat to the balcony and soak in the outdoor bath while looking back across the water you've just been swimming in. If you're feeling particularly committed to the wellness agenda, you can even arrange lakeside yoga or a massage. Though honestly, a swim followed by a bath with a view is already doing a pretty good job.

Spring-fed lake for slow living 

At Toller Hut, wild swimming is only the beginning. Set beside a spring-fed lake in a secluded corner of Dorset, the water has a way of drawing you outside early and keeping you there for the rest of the day. One swim leads naturally to another, punctuated only by meals, naps and the occasional kayak trip across the lake. 

After a dip from the pontoon, the real joy lies in how outdoor life takes over. Lunch somehow tastes better when it's cooked over a firepit after a swim, with damp hair drying in the sunshine and smoke drifting through the air. Later, you might grab a sundowner and challenge someone to cards on the jetty or alternate between the wood-fired bath and cold outdoor shower. By the time darkness arrives, the only thing left to do is watch the stars emerge above the water and wonder why life isn't always this simple.

Wild swimming has become one of Britain’s most loved ways to reconnect with the outdoors, but private swimming stays take it a step further. They remove the friction, the searching, the parking-lot lottery, and replace it with something more immediate and immersive. 

At Canopy & Stars, that immersion becomes the point, where every swim is already waiting just beyond the threshold. For beginners, our private swimming lakes offer an calm space and stress-free way to get into wild swimming without second guessing water quality, access points or whether you’ve ended up somewhere you probably shouldn’t be. For those already converted swimmers, it’s a rare chance to step away from the crowds and enjoy open water in solitude.