Wild Swimming Torbay Devon

The coastline of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham in Devon is one of Britain’s best kept swimming secrets. With crystal clear sea and intriguing caves, islands and rock formations, the English Riviera is a fascinating aquatic playground just waiting to be explored.

“This book is essential whether you’re a wild swimmer, a tourist with a yen for adventure, someone who fancies giving outdoor swimming a try or just a person who loves beautiful and interesting books” Lynne Roper, author of Wild Woman Swimming.

Join the adventure: Explore a hidden world just beyond the beach in this lovingly researched guide.

Torbay’s 22 miles of coastline is enormously diverse and its waters are among the shallowest and safest in the UK. The book features 15 detailed swim routes, each packed with practical information, as well as the history, popular culture, geology and marine biology of this exciting section of the coast. Dazzling underwater images by Dan Bolt reveal the secret wild beauty of this famous English seaside destination.

Celebrate Torbay’s proud history of sea swimming and a golden age when the resort was known as the Queen of the Watering Places. It’s time to rediscover what made this small corner of England so famous.

About the authors

Matt Newbury is an author and events manager. His swimming challenges include escaping from Alcatraz and swimming to the Isle of Wight. Sophie Pierce is a writer and broadcaster who is never happier than when in the water, though she seems to have an uncanny ability to attract seals and jellyfish. They are the authors of three Wild Swimming Walks books: Cornwall, Dorset & East Devon and Dartmoor and South Devon.

Swim Routes

Maidencombe to Bell Rock 28
Watcombe, White Beach & the Jade Cave 36
Oddicombe and the Juliet Cave 46
Anstey’s Cove to Redgate Beach and The Hidden Pool 54
Meadfoot and its Islands 62
London Bridge and its caves 68
Beacon Cove and the Millstones 76
Corbyn Head and its caves 86
Livermead Head and The Hindu Temples 92
Roundham Head to North Sands, Goodrington 102
Goodrington to Broadsands 110
Broadsands Beach to Elberry Cove 118
Fishcombe Cove to Churston Cover 128
Breakwater Beach to Berry Head 136
St Mary’s Bay to Durl Rock 144

We hope this book inspires even more people to rediscover the joys of sea swimming and to hunt out some of the incredible wild swims of Torbay. The swims we will share take in geology, marine biology, history, and popular culture. We want to take you on some aquatic journeys; to discover the fascinating past that has brought us to where we are today, and to see the coastline from a fresh perspective.