Another trip to the Hindu Temples

Approaching the first cave (photo Aaron Kitts) 

I never tire of swimming at the Hindu Temples in Torquay.  They are a set of interlinking caves in the sandstone cliffs at Livermead; the writer Charles Kingsley described them thus:  "the fantastic rocks of Livermead, scooped by the waves into a labyrinth of double and triple caves, like Hindu Temples..." They are an extraordinary natural feature. On Saturday morning we arrived to find the sea calm and a stunning petrol blue.  The dark entrances of the caves beckoned us in and rock doves cooed above, roosting in the crevices, as we swam into the gurgling depths of the first cave.   The water swirled around in the second cave and I got a bruised knee, but I never mind a few bruises after a swim like that.

Stuart and Olivia 

Mark inside the caves

A very special sunrise swim

I hate getting up early but sometimes it really is worth it.  Today was a case in point.    Swimming slowly in the silky soft sea, seeing the horizon getting pinker by the minute, and finally the moment when the sun popped up, in its dazzling glory, above the Imperial Hotel. We were in Torquay, by the Hindu Temples caves, which get miraculously lit up in the morning sunlight. Jackie was swimming with a waterproof bag, in which she had secreted a breakfast 'starter' of cream cheese and smoked salmon, which we ate on a sun-drenched rock in front of the caves.  We swam around for a while afterwards, revelling in the magical dawn, and then repaired for a cooked breakfast on the sandstone headland.

Kaleidoscope in the caves

The sun was shining in Torquay and we were meeting for a high tide swim through the sea caves at Livermead.  I have never before seen quite such vibrant colours in there.  The oranges and yellows of the walls, contrasted with the turquoise of the water, were stunning.  It was a particularly happy swim.  Lots of lovely people, including two children, having fun swimming through the different 'rooms' and marvelling at the exotic beauty of the sandstone shapes. And it was all topped off with a feast of hot cross buns, eaten in one of the caves, looking out of the 'window'.  Well it was Good Friday  - it would be rude not to.  Swimming back through one of the caves, the light effects were positively pyschedelic; the water seemed to glow.

 

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The call of the caves

The spontaneous swims are usually the best.  This morning a friend posted a picture of the sea in Torquay looking blue,  sparkling and flat, and I thought, right, I'm going over.  (Fortunately I didn't have anything so tedious as work to be getting on with).   Due to the miracles of social media a plan was made with friends within the hour. The conditions were perfect to swim at the sea caves at Livermead - christened the "Hindu Temples" by author Charles Kingsley, who was bowled over by their exotic shapes.  As we slipped into the petrol-blue water, bathed in autumnal sunlight, it was hard to believe the worst storm in 20 years had just passed through.  Inside the first set of caves the water rumbled like a hungry monster but the shafts of sunlight lightened the atmosphere.  In the second set, Gary and Claire found a whirlpool which they sat in, under the 'windows' above - just like being in the Flintstones' house.  A totally magical experience, made all the extraordinary by the fact that the caves are just yards from the main road between Torquay and Paignton; you might as well be in Wonderland.

Dawn at the Hindu Temples of Torbay

Sometimes you just have to have faith that a plan will work. Back in the real world, that was proving a little difficult when I opened the front door at 05:15 to a depressing Dartmoor drizzle.  It had all seemed such a magical idea: a swim at sunrise in Torquay.  We would drift through a set of sea caves, dubbed the "Hindu Temples" by "Water Babies" author Charles Kingsley, as the sun's rays lit up their mysterious interiors. We tried not to feel disheartened as we set off through the damp darkness, but then the mood changed as the ever optimistic English cry of "it's brightening up over there" rang through the car. On arrival, there was the faintest pink tinge on the horizon in the east, and as we got changed it got more and more intense.  Into the water, and the colours were changing all the time; as the sky turned from pink to burnt orange and back. Inside the caves, the water was petrol blue against the terracotta sandstone.  We swam on, over reefs festooned with weed, watching fish dart in and out, and shoals of sand eels swirling around.  Then it was out for a fry-up on the handily-placed flat rocks overlooking the sea.

The Hindu Temples

 There is a set of spectacular sea caves in Torquay which the writer Charles Kingsley (author of the Water Babies) described as 'a labyrinth of double and triple caves, like Hindu Temples".  In Victorian times, as this etching shows, they were quite well known, but now it seems they are largely forgotten, even though they're just minutes from the main road. We set off in rather murky, unattractive seas, and there was quite a swell.  The water rushed in and out of the caves, crashing against the back walls and creating rough swirls and eddies.  It was very dramatic but it made it difficult to explore safely although some brave souls ventured in, where they were whirled around before being unceremoniously spat out. As the sun started to set behind the headland, and the sea roared inside the caves, it felt like an amazing place to be. Thanks to Allan and Pauline/James for the pictures.