Wild Swimming at Sharrah Pool - Dartmoor
It’s hard to imagine that shortly you’ll be swimming in crystal clear, tranquil waters as you weave your way along the forest path that leads alongside the determined River Dart. But when you plunge yourself into the cool waters at Sharrah Pool it’s hard to leave the peaceful, still spot.
This spot was top of my agenda for Dartmoor - while I’ve been an avid sea swimmer for years Wild Swimming is fairly new to me and The Cotswolds wasn't quite cutting it! Sharrah Pool has come one of Dartmoors most researched places to swim but don’t let that deter you out of season of on a weekday. The blog post I was going off gave off the impression that it was a park the car, a quick walk and in for a swim scenario but it’s a bit more than that.
You’ll need to allow an hour to get to Sharrah Pool and the same back. Don’t let this walk pass you by in a rush to get to the pool - it’s an absolute beauty of a fairly undulating amble that is spectacular in it’s own right. Views of the rushing river and the deep scent of forest fern is nourishing and dense. The ground underfoot become knobbly and bumpy so you’ll need fairly good footwear.
👇🏻 Full directions for getting to Sharrah Pool towards the end of this post 👇🏻
Follow the path along and it dips up and down through forest and vistas, past a waterfall and finally descending into the smooth clearing where Sharrah Pool can be found. The water is magnetising. Like a dog testing out the depth before making the leap I circled the area finding a good spot to sit the camera and get in slowly as I had an introduction of the cold water to my body in mind.
After stealthily changing into my swimming costume behind a tree, with the encouragement of a duo sat on a rock, I plunged myself into the water of Sharrah Pool to be instantly energised and uplifted. It felt different than a sea swim somehow, I’ve got into the sea at Brighton before and it took me an age but the submergence here was quick and invigorating.
Afterwards, while enjoying a warming tea from a flask, I sat and took in the energy of Sharrah Pool and had a conversation with a guy who I egged to get in in his pants in absence of swimwear. He made the comment ‘it feels like anything goes here’. And he’s not wrong.
I had seen that Mel Pool was a few hundred yards down stream and when I returned for my second visit in because a friend was in the area we went in search of it. It was definitely for the more hardy swimmer - I had in the back of my mind that it’s slippy to get in and out so with a fused ankle I wasn't able to relax in the water. But if you’re looking for a quieter swim than Sharrah Mel Pool is your place, just don’t swim alone here as the current is a consideration.
For more on this experience see here.
Getting to Sharrah Pool
Park at New Bridge (postcode TQ13 7NT) - the parking meters don’t take cards nor is there an option to pay by app (in fact you won’t have any phone reception for your time here) so make sure you have coins before you head off. Once parked, cross the bridge and pick up the path to the right after the bridge into the woodland. Follow the path for about 50-60 minutes - sometimes it will fork in a few directions but stick next to the river and you’ll be fine - you’ll need good shoes as the terrain gets rough in places and the path is undulating so you’ll ascend and descend in places. After crossing a small waterfall the path will start to really narrow down from the track you’ve been following and picking around tree roots you’ll then descend into the small wooded area around Sharrah Pool. You’ll know you’re there because the water is still, and there are beach like areas among the rocks - there’s likely to be a few other swimmers about too.
It should go without saying that these wild spots deserve to be treated with the nourishing respect that they give to us. Please leave no trace and whatever you do, don’t light fires here.