We all know the power that water has to make us feel better. From its hypnotic motion and soothing sound to the energising shock of it against your body as you dive in, getting more water is one of the simplest ways to get more happy.
Here are places where you can swim, paddle and drowsily stare until you feel mentally rehydrated.
This is just one of ten types of experience in The Feel Good 100, a series of ways to boost your wellbeing with the outdoors. You can see the other types here, or sign up to our newsletter, and have them sent straight to your inbox over the next few weeks.
This is total immersion, an unmatched sea therapy experience however you want to do it. Get lulled to sleep by the sound of the surf, spend lazy days watching the waves crash on the beach just down from the deck, or throw yourself in for bracing morning swims or daring moonlight dips.
One of the finest ways to quench your thirst we've ever encountered. Wake up to watch the light change on the water from the window seat, the bed, or even the shower, then jump in the kayaks and paddle around from your concealed cottage to Kingsbridge, for lunch at one of the harbourside pubs.
There aren't many places in Devon you can go and generally find yourself alone, but the estuary beach a few minutes' walk from Pointy, a cabin in a remote area of Devon, is one of them. Take a picnic down and watch the boats drift by a you lunch and laze.
When we say a stone's throw, we mean a lazy flick of the wrist to the sea from the deck of this incredible beach house on the Isle of Sheppey. Take a walk through the nature reserve at the top of the beach, or simply sit and watch the waves, unable to believe you're only an hour from London.
However you like your water, Rook's Nest can help. In the form of the waves of the deep blue sea crashing on the cliffs below, heated and ready to sink into in the hot tub or turned to gentle steam in the sauna. This might just be the best you ever feel.
A secret mooring at the end of a long path past a quarry is where you'll find Oyster, a boat bobbing gently on the water in a crinkle of the south Devon coastline. It's a place to come if you need some simplicity in your life, with just the basics and the soothing slap of the waves.
Your quiet corner of this Yorkshire estate, found a minute or two down through the trees to the river, is the perfect place for some calming water therapy. Lie back in the bath, with the river running by a few feet away, or sit on the deck watching for the resident otter.
One for the wilder water lovers, this old removal van has settled at the top of a Welsh valley and been transformed into a cosy two-person escape just above a wild swimming pond. The brave can plunge from the jetty and swim lazy laps in front of the stunning views.
Handcrafted by a local carpenter, Gosling Lodge comes with space, comfort and its own private lake. If you're hardy, you can dive right in, but a boat is provided if you'd rather drift above the water. Nearby Dartmoor and the Blackdown Hills can help you work up the warmth for a swim.
The unique design of Birch Cabin means you never lose sight of the water. The floor-to-ceiling glass frames Loch Venachar from every room, so you can sit in bed or on the sofa by the wood burner and drink in the views. Or head down to the shore and take the chilly plunge!
As part of The Feel Good 100, we’ll be giving away a great prize every week for the next ten weeks. We’re talking wild spa weekends, treehouse adventures and even a stay for six at a Beach House in Dorset.
‘Tidal pools are the perfect architectural harnessing of nature’ says author Freya Bromley. They’re a natural seawater pool filled by the tide with a manmade element, such as metal steps or a concrete boundary. She spent a year travelling around mainland Britain searching for these saltwater sanctuaries and wrote about her journey. The Tidal Year is a story of love, loss and the restorative power of nature. Here she shares five wild swimming weekends so you can have your own coastal adventure!
You wouldn’t believe the locations of some of our cabins, unless they had the pictures alongside to prove it. Some are off the beaten track, but round the corner from places to explore. Some are so remote you’re left wondering exactly how they were built, if not by some form of construction goat. But there is one particular location we’re rather fond of, and that has to be, the cabin by the lake. Centrepiece of many a film, it’s hard not to picture a lake by cabin, or vice versa, when you inevitably daydream of one. Here’s a list of our six favourites on the water’s edge.
Wild swimming in natural pools, ponds, lakes and rivers is one of the best ways to deepen your connection with nature. Swimming is proven to improve mental health, and when you combine this brilliant form of exercise with fresh air and spectacular surroundings, you get the ultimate endorphin high. We’ve rounded up six of the coolest wild swimming spots in the UK where you’ll find Canopy & Stars glamping places conveniently close by for a feel-good getaway.
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