Wild Swimming & Stand Up Paddleboarding

Swim & Paddle Board At Megs Lake

Wild swimming or open water swimming is becoming increasingly popular it seems and we are fortunate here at Beacon Hill Farm to have our very own private lake which, until recent years, has mostly been used by our guests for fishing. Nowadays you are just as likely to see someone practising their front crawl technique as you are to see someone casting out in the hope of catching their supper!

Meg’s Lake is a fantastic private resource available to all of our holiday guests and is a great place for wild swimming. If visiting during the summer months and especially later in the summer, the water can be a reasonable temperature and as you can see from the photograph below, comfortable for just a regular swimsuit or shorts.

However, even in the summer months water can be chilly and if you are intending to be in the water for a prolonged period of time then we would always advise wearing a wetsuit if you have one as it will keep you warmer and of course adds a bit of extra buoyancy too. There is an easy entry point to the lake with a large wooden jetty and steps to help you climb in and out and we have a life ring for safety. Swimming in open water does come with some risks but if you follow some basic rules then you can safely enjoy an exhilarating swim while getting some exercise and connecting with nature. This excellent piece on wild swimming by Countryfile Magazine has a thorough guide to staying safe in open water – Wild Swimming Guide.

Another water sport that is seeing huge increases in popularity is Stand Up Paddle Boarding and again Meg’s Lake provides the perfect location for a paddle with no currents or waves to worry about so ideal for those who may have just taken it up. The jetty offers an ideal spot to get set up, so why not bring your inflatable board and have fun on the 2.5 acre lake. There is a built in BBQ and all the logs are there ready to use.