Swimming in the suburbs

Just because a beach is in the middle of a conurbation doesn't mean it's not wild.  Anna, Ellie and I set off for Armchair Cove in Paignton, which you can get to via a suburban street and a short walk past a holiday camp and under the railway line. You emerge into a green and blue heaven, a grassy cliff top with the sea spread out in front of you like a magic blue carpet. Armchair Cove is tucked away under the cliff, a small oasis of calm fringed with exotic, Gaudi-esque rock formations.  The water was very clear for the time of year, and warm, at 14.7, and we swam around, heads permanently down, marvelling at the beautifully coloured seaweeds and intricately twisted rocks.  Then there was a shout. "Green anemones" cried Anna, and there they were, snakelocks anemones rippling in the water, green ones and pink ones, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of pinks, purples, browns and greens.

Wilderness in the suburbs

Hidden away between Paignton and Brixham is Armchair Cove.  I walked to it from a residential street, past a holiday camp, and under the railway line.  Coming out from the tunnel it was like emerging into another world.   A soft green clifftop with three bunnies hopping about, the odd parasol mushroom, and a pair of ravens perching in a tree.  You don't realise the cove is there until you get to the end of the field.  When I looked down I couldn't believe it.  Turquoise clear sea, just what I was hoping for after the dreary wet weather, but which I hadn't expected.  I swam into the lagoon and explored in and around the Armchair, fascinated by the fantastical rocks, which all seemed to have halloween-style faces.  The sun came out and the sea was warm - 15.7 degrees - it hardly felt like the end of October.

Queenie's big swim

The SLSC contingent

My friend Queenie throws great parties, so when I heard she was 'throwing' a big swim I was excited.  The concept: a group of swimmers each swimming a section of the 22 miles of the Torbay coastline simultaneously, going all the way from Maidencombe in the north to St Mary's Bay in the south.  Why? No reason, other than it would be a great thing to do.  In true British style, the weather conspired against us, with howling Easterly gales meaning the usually placid waters of the Bay were rolling and rough...but in true British style the show went on.  Fiona and I did the section between Meadfoot and London Bridge - a natural arch.  We got a little bumped getting in but after that we bounced along quite happily, enjoying the feeling that our friends were all - at that very moment - doing the same thing.  It was all a great success - apart from the knickers in the car park incident - about which I will say no more. Afterwards, we all met up to share our adventures and increasingly tall tales about our various feats.  Thank you Queenie, you're a legend!

Passing Corbyn Head

Keeping the show on the road

Fiona at London Bridge

Round the rugged rocks

As we gathered on the beach at Elberry Cove the sun was out and the sea was sparkling.  The water is finally starting to clear after the murk of the stormy winter, and as we waded out, Jackie and I remarked on that delicious feeling of anticipation of all the summer swims ahead.   We pottered along the crinkly coastline towards  Broadsands, swimming through lagoons and channels, and looking up at miniature cliffs, packed with exotic shapes in the limestone.  As Jackie said, it was Gaudi-esqe .  We then came across an arch that we swam under.  It was like being in fairyland.   Thanks to Jackie for the pictures.

Return to the Hindu Temples

I'd been longing to go back to the Hindu Temples, a spectacular set of sea caves in between Torquay and Paignton, having not swum there for several months. Once you've been, they haunt you and call you back.  They were given their exotic name by the author Charles Kingsley who was captivated by their strange beauty one winter when he and his wife stayed in the Bay. We arrived to find a glorious blue sea, sparkling in the winter sun.  The water was almost turquoise against the great orange slabs of rock, studded with pearly barnacles,that overhung us. As we swam into the caves the water groaned and gurgled, and the light danced on the walls. We swam out of the first set and then climbed into the next, where we walked around before descending into a lower, water filled section, from where we swam out.   As we returned to the first cave someone said "What's that?"   I glanced over and dismissively replied "Oh, just a rock".  Then the rock moved.  "Aaaarggh!  It's a seal!"   Stuff the sightseeing, it was time to head for the shore.
Here's a video of our adventure (NOT featuring the seal).

Swimming to Silver Cove

South westerlies have been battering Devon, so I was in search of somewhere sheltered to swim.  Elberry Cove, in between Paignton and Brixham, was the obvious choice, tucked as it is in the SW corner of Torbay, with its back to the gales.  We arrived to find beautiful calm, verdigris water and as we waded in on a very low tide it felt really quite warm.  I've swum here many times and have always been curious about a little cove further along;  I assumed it had no name but my son was looking at a map on a board by the beach and discovered it is called Silver Cove.  We ended up swimming over to it, seeing herons, black backed gulls and cormorants on the way.  I had assumed it would be too cold to swim that far - about half a mile there and back - but the water was lovely. A few of us climbed out to 'claim' the beach; there was no silver or indeed any other treasure in evidence, perhaps it gets its name from the pale stones.
Thanks to Jackie Wills for the first picture.

Elberry antics

Sometimes you have to be just a little bit cunning when planning a swim.  Relentless rainy windy weather has resulted in unattractive seas, and after another spell away from Devon I wanted my homecoming dip to be as perfect as possible.  Cue forensic examination of the weather forecast, including intense assessment of wind direction, rain and various webcams, and I concluded Elberry Cove in Torbay would be the best bet.  Rachel and I met Jackie, Allan and Geoffrey over there, and were delighted to find brightening skies, and a flat sea with just a gentle swell.  The water was its usual special shade of green, as it always is over there, and we flung ourselves in, much to the amusement of various people sitting with their dogs on the beach.  As we swam, a gig boat hoved into view, with our friends Queenie and Trista on board, who'd come to say hello.

Toasty swimming

The great advantage of a drysuit is that you can wear your thermal longjohns while you go swimming.  Some might argue, why would you want to, but Amanda would not be in their camp.  She has a mission to be warm at all times.  We decided to test out her drysuit at Elberry Cove, where the water was an exotic emerald colour - just the sensory boost we needed in the dullness of winter.  We couldn't wait to get in, but were held up by the process of getting her into the suit.  We both got into a muck sweat wrestling with it, and had to cut the neck to get her head through. Once in the water, she floated around like the Michelin Man, and perfected a sort of aquatic waddling stroke, before working out how to let some of the air out. 

Shameless plug

This weekend, if you're in Devon, do please come to a talk I'm giving with my friend and swimming buddy Matt Newbury. It's called Coastal Capers and Aquatic Adventures (yes!), and is revealing some of the swimming secrets of Torbay, a part of Devon that - till now - has been frequently overlooked by wild swimmers. The Bay has the most amazing social and cultural history of swimming, as well as a stunning coastline with caves, coves, cliffs and corals. Come and join us at St Anne's Hall in Babbacombe, Torquay, on Sunday 10th June. Tickets are £6 and include a trip afterwards on the quirky Cliff Railway to Oddicombe Beach where you can have a dip and a free coffee at the cafe, and share swimming stories with fellow enthusiasts! Map showing the venues here.

Swimming to Shoalstone

Matt, Rachel and I entered the water at Breakwater Beach in Brixham on one of the lowest tides for several months. Weird and wonderful rocks were revealed; the water was calm, perfect for exploring, but still milky looking, due to the rough seas we've had of late. We swam past architectural oddities; old steps that now go nowhere, seemingly redundant arches, and rows of sandbags squashed into the cliff. We arrived at glorious Shoalstone Pool, an art deco gem, and climbed up off the rocky outcrop on which it sits, scrambling, guerilla-style, over the railings. We found the pool empty, and being lovingly painted by Mark and Kevin, from the Friends of Shoalstone Pool. They told us it's all hands to the pump to try and get the pool ready; lots of people are rallying round, including the Berry Head coastguard team. They're even using trawler paint for some of the work, and are appealing for anyone who can help in any way to get in touch. In previous years the pool has been open by now, but the council says in 2012 it will only be open for the six weeks of the school holidays.

Sun and sea

Today Torbay felt like the Mediterranean. Sparkling clear blue sea, unbroken sunshine, white shingle coves. We swam from Fishcombe to Churston, meeting a seal on the way; I have encountered him before (he is well known in the area). The underwater scenes were amazing. The sunlight played through the sea, illuminating the rocks and seaweed. It was mesmerising. We then found a huge slab of rock, the perfect sunbathing terrace. Bliss.

Swimming through fairyland

Tor Bay has always been a place where ships shelter. Today, despite all the gales, it was serenely calm, and there was a magical sense of otherworldliness, a paused dimension, as we entered the water. We swam from Elberry Cove to Broadsands, past a series of crinkly, pointed rock formations that looked as though they should be home to mythical creatures. My very knowledgeable friend Sue tells me they are the fossilised remains of corals which grew here 360 million years ago, when the sea was shallow and tropical. There were caves and little inlets and channels to swim through. It felt like another kingdom.