The Water and the Wild

The Cuckmere River winds it way through East Sussex down to the Channel where it joins the sea by the 'Seven Sisters' white cliffs. In its later stages the river has cut a pattern of Meanders, although the main body of the river now flows through an adjacent straight cut put in the river in the mid-19th century. The Cuckmere Meanders are good for swimming, readily accessible via low banks from the adjoining grassland. We walked along the river for a bit from near to the Cuckmere Valley Canoe Club (right next to one of the car parks for the Seven Sisters Country Park - postcode BN25 4AD), but where we actually entered the water was close to where the South Downs Way footpath passes it - the bend furthest to the right in the picture above.  The entry was shallow, with the river become swimmable nearer the middle.  I think a 5 feet ten adult would be able to touch the (muddy) bottom in many places, but I wouldn't rely on it. In some sections there is a lot of weed action but w

The River Cam just outside Cambridge at Grantchester Meadows is one of the places that has kept us sane through the Covid-19 pandemic. We have swum there in all conditions, from blazing sunshine to hail storms, sometimes with just swans for company, sometimes with the banks crowded with families and groups of young people - though rarely with more than a handful of swimmers and paddleboarders.   Now it seems that the landowners, Kings College, have decided to ban swimmers entering the river from Grantchester Meadows as well as launching boats, kayaks or paddle boards. In a statement they have cited concerns about large gatherings, antisocial behaviour, safety and erosion of riverbanks. No doubt during lockdown with so much closed down places like Grantchester Meadows have been busier than normal, but this probably temporary phenomenon is no reason to deny many people their right to enjoy the river.   To anybody with experience of urban life the alleged antisocial behaviour sounds rath