Much swimming during a long weekend in North Norfolk with family. The whipping north winds made it feel freezing despite the blue sky and this combined with average 1 hour walk from car to swim point meant that all swims kept brief to avoid hypothermia. Felt a bit pathetic in September and the sea was a fine temperature but those winds are mean!
First stop Wells, the main beach was really busy with families enjoying the autumn sun. Started with a swim in the deep cool channel which cuts across the expansive beach - massive sand flats on the other side of the channel are only accessible by swimming across and so its totally deserted yet within earshot of all the sunbathers and families playing games. A bit of a surreal contrast.
After lunch a long long trek across empty sands to the sea at low tide followed by long wading through shallow water until eventually deep enough to dive under. The sea water much warmer than the channel, positively balmy. Treated to beautiful sight of a seal in the water with us, head bobbing up and down a few times about 100m away.
Next stop Thornham. Stunning walk across empty salt march to a vast empty beach - sand as far as the eye can see with a silvery glimmer in the distance betraying the ocean. I had forgotten just how vast this place is at low tide.
Much like at Wells beach there is a wide creek which crosses the beach and makes for good swimming when the sea seems just too far away. This creek is lovely for its emptyness. Not another person in sight. In fact nothing in sight except sand, sky and water.
Final swimming stop was Scolt Head Island. A long held favourite spot. A sand-bar island which can be reached on foot at low tide by wading across creeks and marshes while trying very hard not to fall over in the deep oozy mud...
...All the slipping and sliding is worth it for the stunning sight on arrival at this deserted island paradise.
As always the swimming was a bit distant and the winds were really strong (no problem for waves which would keep us from swimming in Dorset, instead the problem is freezing on the hour long trek back) so we opted for another creek swim. The tide was still going out at this point so we had to be careful - being swept out to sea a real danger here. A run, a dive, a quick swim then a dash back to clothes before the wind chill kicked in. Brief but lovely!
SW / EW
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