Messing about in the river

At Bantham the tide was going out and the river was like a slippery snake, a constant ripple of movement towards the sea. We slid in and were pulled along by the current, enjoying a duck-eye view from the surface, looking out and up at the beach and seascape around. The world whirled by as we travelled along, clasped by the water. When we reached the open sea we got out, walked back to the start and did the whole thing again.

Adventure down the Avon

It was the third time I've swum down the Avon estuary, from Aveton Gifford to Bantham, and each time has been different. Today it was overcast and there was a strong wind constantly pushing us back. But halfway down the estuary it calmed, and we floated on our backs by the bank, under gnarled old oak trees, gazing up at the leaves and watching them fall delicately into the water. We then stopped on some mudflats in the middle and sucked on some samphire. At one point we saw the most enormous gathering of swans - I counted thirty three, with nine cygnets. In the final leg of the swim the tide raced and we were swept onto the beach.

Claimed by the current

High water was at 7:15, and we met at 8am (matchsticks in eyes) at Aveton Gifford, to drift, float and swim down the Avon estuary on the outgoing tide. Being pulled down the river, we felt intensely drawn into its world. We passed herons, egrets, cormorants and a nest of sleeping swans. Underwater I saw oyster beds, white cockle shells, and swathes of muddy kelp clinging to the banks. Around us the trees were in electric green bud, and fields of bluebells spread down to the water. Towards the end, the current sped up and it was an exhilarating ride - including being swirled in eddies - down to our final destination, the beach at Bantham.

By the sea

Bantham was beautiful. Sun and sparkle, waves and wind. We lay around on the beach, looking across at Burgh Island. There were occasional forays into the sea, where the surf was small but sporting.

Swimming to the sea

The day: Sunday. Our mission: to swim from Aveton Gifford to Bantham, down the Avon estuary. Taking part: a motley crew of women and children armed with surfboards, dinghies, one blow-up armchair and one inflatable banana. The idea was that we would drift in a leisurely fashion on the outward tide, languidly floating down the river. In reality there was a very strong wind against us, and quite low water, so there was much paddling and wading. Highlights: the swallows swooping down on us, flashing their iridescent blue plumage; the herons; and the sand on the bottom swirling through the light as we neared the beach, after our two and a half hour odyssey.