Why Wild Swimming is So Popular at England's Highest Beach (in Yorkshire)
Shot through the seasons at Gaddings Dam (home to England's highest beach), we find out more about Wild Water, a new documentary shining a spotlight on the benefits of cold water swimming
It’s this community that the film’s director Ben Davis met on his visit to Gaddings Dam one summer’s evening around nine years ago. ‘It felt like it should’ve been somewhere in Southern Europe,’ he says. ‘The sun was going down and it felt like a really special place. I spoke to a couple who had a farm over the hill and to two brothers who were training for a triathlon and they were there because there’re not many places to go where they could swim. I got a sense that there was a real community revolving around Gaddings Dam.’
Jotting it down to his list of film ideas, he began working on another project, but when Covid hit and everything ground to a halt, the idea for Wild Water floated to the surface. ‘We could do it locally and reasonably cheaply,’ Ben explains. ‘I started going out there and a lot of swimmers were using it because swimming pools were shut. It felt like a timely way to do it.’
Pete Jenkinson, the film’s producer, explains that as everyone headed outside when restrictions eased, Gaddings Dam became a safe space for locals to come back together. ‘It focused everybody more on outdoor activities,’ he says. ‘Ben had had a bit more experience with cold water swimming but this definitely gave me a taste of it.’
The film explores the landscape and the people at Gaddings Dam as they use the restorative powers of cold water to reconnect with their mental health, nature and each other. Viewers meet veteran dipper Clive who’s in his late 60s, the January Daily Dippers, and the Saturday Morning Crew.
Initially, Ben headed back to the area with a low budget and a single camera. ‘Before we started filming, I spent a lot of time chatting to people going up there. Getting to know them, just trying to gain people’s trust, and word got out that we were making a film,’ he says. ‘Then it was a matter of finding people who were happy to share their stories.’ Ben wanted to explore the area in all seasons and the film was shot over a period of 16 months with support from a drone operator.
Still in the midst of a pandemic, Paper Vision Films produced the documentary themselves and then began to distribute it. ‘We got in touch with wild swimming groups and asked them where they’d like to see this film and that’s how the UK tour’s came about,’ says Pete.
They wanted to share the importance of anti-pollution and a right to swim. ‘The biggest takeaway is if you have access to clean water, it can have a transformative effect on all sorts of people,’ Ben says. ‘Gaddings has the added aspect of it being in the wilds of the countryside, and there are huge health benefits of course.’
‘I think our film can draw attention to the fact that it is important for clean water to be available for people to dip in whenever they like,’ Pete adds. Ben describes open water swimming as ‘a micro-adventure’. ‘Every time I go down to Gaddings is different,’ he says. ‘Covid put a lot of people onto it and once you’ve done it two or three times you get hooked. That’s the case for me, anyway. I go all the time now. You get the bug.’
Staying safe whilst wild swimming is important and Ben’s advice is to never go alone. ‘Certainly when you’re starting out, go with someone who’s more experienced and has done it before,’ he says. ‘Go gently and listen to what your own body is telling you – I think that’s the most important thing. A really good piece of advice someone gave me is to get out before you think you should.’
Wild Water has hit the screens of various independent cinemas throughout the country and many more are asking to organise screenings for it. ‘We’re now talking to a distributor and in autumn it should be available via streaming,’ Pete adds. ‘Word of mouth has really carried it and it’s gathered a bit of a life of its own. It’s great that it’s definitely hit home for a lot of people.
‘I’m sure we’ll do some sort of event around the streaming launch. We’ve also partnered with Crisis, the national charity for people experiencing homelessness, who do an annual Icebreaker swimming challenge [to raise money for the charity]. We were perhaps thinking about doing something for next January’s event. Then we’ll be onto our next venture…’
For cinema screenings and for more information, visit wildwaterfilm.net. Find more wild swimming spots across Yorkshire and tips to make sure you swim safe.
