ESEA Sisters

London

Brighton

Wales

A beautiful, serene traditional Japanese garden located in West London, designed by Japanese landscape architect Shoji Nakahara. With tiered waterfalls, stone lanterns, a koi pond, Japanese maple trees and Sakura trees, it really gives a sense of a ‘home from home’ for the Japanese diaspora. It’s also completely free to access! I go there first thing most mornings before work, to clear my head, ground myself with nature, and write. It’s a very special place that has a lot of history to it - it was opened in 1991 as a gift from the City of Kyoto to commemorate the friendship between Japan and Great Britain, and in 2012 there was an additional Fukushima memorial garden added to the side of the Kyoto Garden. The peacocks strutting around the garden are an added bonus!

It’s a tranquil pebbly beach set below the backdrop of the Seven Sisters cliffs - which creates a pretty dramatic scene! It’s a great place to go swimming or surfing, but if the tide is out, you’ll also see some rock pools to explore, and you can hunt for fossils and even catch crabs! There’s definitely something for everyone, I know that some areas of the Birling Gap beach are used by nudists/naturists. Which is maybe something to be mindful of when you visit. 

Our collective, ESEA Sisters, have been organising a series of nature walks with healing circles each month in different locations near London, and the Birling Gap is actually going to be our next destination! Immersing ourselves in the water, having a swim, connecting with nature, and incorporating some tai-chi/qi-gong on the beach, we’ll be rebalancing our energy and grounding ourselves, while in community with others. I’d recommend that if you go to the Birling Gap, try some of those activities out - either alone or in company. It’s a great way to destress. 

It's our capital's dividing waterway, it's home to famous races and regattas and an abundance of wildlife resides on it’s banks. How could we not add it to the list!

There are so many things that make the Thames special but let's start outside of London. The Thames is home to hundreds of beautiful towns and villages many of which are easily accessible by train so you can spend the day walking between places (the Thames has 185miles of walkable trails!) before finally heading home. Towns include Henley-on-Thames, famous for the regatta in the Summer and you can cross the Thames between Windsor and Eton, but the most magical places are the areas up and down the banks that locals would call 'our spot'. These are small oases found up and down the river where rope swings are built, bridges were made for jumping off and friends spend late summer evenings swimming and cooling off in the water. If you swam anywhere near the zoo Beale Park, like I did all through my teenage years, you’d often find yourself swimming alongside terrapins from when the park once flooded! 

One of the best places to swim here is a village called Pangbourne, not far from Reading, easily accessible by train or car as there is a dedicated carpark. Here you’ll find the brave jumping off the bridge, people using the water activities facility to canoe, others who come to try their hand at fishing a bit further down and tonnes of people splashing in the water or watching the boats and yachts go by from the jetty.

Now heading downstream to the capital. The Thames Path walking routes here are not to be missed from the quaint village-esque feel of Barnes all the way to the Wapping, a now largely residential area that still holds it's old dock and factory history within every cobbled street, it makes a perfect alternative day out for anyone heading to London. Getting tired feet doing all that walking? Hop on one of the many river buses or tours that depart between Richmond all the way to the Thames Barrier. Another great way to see the sites of London on one of Britain's most famous waterways.

This is a huge expanse of white rolling sand dunes residing on the coast of West Sussex. It is often deemed one of the most beautiful beaches in England at 13km long and backing onto the South Downs, it’s enjoyable all year round and there are areas all along the front for you to swim, make sandcastles, go for a walk or enjoy a BBQ with family. 

It’s one of the few beaches in the UK where I have found absolutely anyone is welcome to come and enjoy it, no stares or whispered conversation between other families for looking different. I went to university in a county with a lot of coastline and always found my presence at the beaches there to be bothersome to many others. In fact, the only thing to note when you come to enjoy West Wittering is please be mindful and smart when going to enjoy the water, there are safe swimming areas for a reason! 

Lifeguards are posted up and down the beach and with it being so large, there are many areas to swim. Lots of places have much calmer, slightly busier waters which make it perfect for swimming together with friends and family or if you prefer to get your sea laps in, like me, there are equally calm areas to swim often used by those of us who might be taking the beach a little too seriously... If you’re looking for a bit of thrill when you head here, there are areas dedicated to water activities like wind surfing too.

Whilst visiting my partner’s parents for the first time in Gellifor, North Wales we took a trip West, to Dolgellau, hiked around Llynnau Cregennen (Cregennan Lakes), and meandered down hairpin bends towards Fairbourne Beach. We met with a large sea wall that protects the village from high tide, which we clambered over and stood in awe of the sprawling sandy beach. Despite the sunshine, it was sparsely filled with fellow beach walkers. Opalescent jellyfish were dotted around the sand - marking the edge of the tide. The open views fogged the horizon line facing the general direction of Ireland, and I felt at peace. A resolution had been made. We had our swimming gear - we had to jump in. Nothing beats a salty swim with natural views, crisp fresh air, and staring up to a clear blue sky. The feeling of weightlessness clears the mind, ready for the return back to the hustle bustle of London living.

Sadly, Fairbourne is on the front line in the battle against climate change and there are rising concerns that the lovely little village by it’s shores will be consumed by rising tides and ever more frequent flooding. “It’s being called the first place in the UK to be lost to climate change, as rising sea levels and extreme weather become too much to defend it from.” 13th March 2020 - Greenpeace. So be considerate and respectful when visiting and perhaps let your trip inspire you to invest as much time in healing the earth we share as we try to invest in healing ourselves. 

ESEA Sisters Guide us to Healing Waters

Swim Dem Crew

Margate

We love taking trips to Brighton’s lesser-talked about beach in Saltdean as it’s got plenty of space and less crowding, it’s more local. It’s just a 10 minute bus journey or drive from Brighton centre. A huge bonus of this beach is that Saltdean Lido is less than 100 metres away, providing you with a beautiful art-deco backdrop to your swim and all the facilities that come with a swimming pool (changing rooms, toilets, café). Saltdean Beach is pebbled, like it’s cousin in Brighton, but don’t let that dampen your experience of the crashing waves and tame (by the UKs standards) sounds of seagulls. It’s a place where you can set up shop with your friends for the day in the summer and enter the water at your own pace. While the stones may make your walk to the water less graceful than you’d like, you’re still in control when compared to some other locations. The water will be refreshing and the seaview on a clear day is incredible. On your way back to Brighton, consider having a meal at Curry Leaf Cafe for a quick bite or Little Fish Market for fancy seafood.

Swim Level: Beginner

Public Transport:  Yes 

Facilities: Lifeguard  

We visit Margate regularly as a crew when the sun decides to show its face for long enough. The town has been through a regeneration-turned-gentrification sparked by the Turner Contemporary being built and new money hipsters trying to replicate what they saw happening across under-funded boroughs in London on the seaside. That’s brought many challenges for Margate's locals who either can’t get on the property ladder or simply don’t want to, rent is increasing and new homes aren’t being built. It means that for visitors like us, we get to see different communities working and living side by side…for now. Margate has two popular tidal pools. The first is just a few minutes walk from the train station and very much a part of the seaside fun that takes place on hot days, the pool is enclosed so as the tide retreats in the afternoon, there is still plenty of water nearby to get a few laps in. We prefer Walpole Bay pool, which is either a half hour walk from Margate station or a five minute drive. This pool has an all important beach entry and small beach area so tends to be much less busy than Margate’s pool. Expect refreshing water, kids crabbing and seasoned swimming vets all sharing the same space. We challenge you to spend a day there to see the pool appear and disappear as the tide comes in and out, there’s something beautiful about that natural process. Margate has a great food scene with plenty of variety, head to Sargasso for refreshing small plates, Angela’s for the best seafood you’ll ever eat, or their sister restaurant Dory’s for a more casual vibe but similar quality. 


Swim Level: Beginner 

Public Transport:  Yes 

Facilities: No 

We first visited Frensham Ponds in Farnham in 2021 as a part of us trying to find exciting places outside of London to Swim in and the ponds delivered on that many times over. Of all the places to swim for us, this one is filled with a sense of adventure as it's located in a green with huge trees and rich wildlife. Bring a packed lunch for the day and find a spot along the sand to make your home for the day. Frensham has very calm waters as it’s a lake and two designated swimming areas with a gradual increase in depth as you go further out. We think this is the perfect place to practise floating as it’s such a low pressure place to swim, you’ll most likely be surrounded by families enjoying the weather and water and definitely will not see any elite athletes swimming through the lake. When floating, the key is to remain calm, regulate your breathing and stretch your body out. As you head back to Farnham station, be sure to check out the Plough, it’s a lovely pub with live music most days and is run by a Black musician who also keeps chickens in the garden for delicious eggs. 

Swim Level: Beginner

Public Transport: No 

 Facilities: No 

Hampstead Heath is home to three swimming ponds, the Ladies, Mens and Mixed ponds are oases in hot summer days and fortresses of solitude in colder weather, with backdrops of comforting willow trees to sooth your inner self. We love to swim there knowing that you’re able to experience floating around on your back or swimming through slightly murky waters without having to leave the City, which is truly special. If Hampstead is too far north for you, consider coming with us down south to Beckenham Place Park for a dip. It’s one of the few ponds that has air filtration which helps to keep the water extra fresh too. You can even give paddle-boarding a try while there and head up to the grounds to see a movie at their outdoor cinema during the summer. 


Swim Level: Beginner 

Public Transport: Yes

 Facilities: Yes

Heated lidos are actually quite a luxury, while London holds a few of them, we won’t be focusing on them because we think there are so many benefits to having a relationship with cold water. The cold water brings a presence of thought and strengthens the connection between body and mind through the odd sensations you feel, it’s so hard to describe, that’s why you must try it for yourself! So don’t be afraid to go to south London's Brockwell Lido for a dip that will make you feel truly awake, followed by a munch at their amazing cafe. Or head to Tooting Bec Lido that will recreate swimming in the sea as the pool is nearly 100 metres long! Lastly, consider one of the most beautiful lidos in the UK, Parliament Hill Lido with it’s metallic basin (we thought this was done to heat the water up, but it was actually installed to reduce maintenance time as there are no tiles) which also boasts a cafe that has great falafel wraps and traditional breakfast scran. 

Swim Level: Beginner

Public Transport: Yes 

 Facilities: Yes 

Swim Dem Crew's Bodies of Water for Every Level

Elli Ingram

I’m a street food kind of girl but from time to time it’s lovely to go for a fancy meal and The Flint House delivers on flavours and luxury. They serve small plates so you need to get a few but I enjoy that because it means you get a taste of everything.

This restaurant is a staple in Brighton. As soon as you walk through the doors you are transported to Italy. It’s small and chaotic but in the best way. Order yourself a pizza and a big bowl of Aperol Spritz and thank me later.

Kusaki is brand new to Brighton and they have done an amazing job of standing out from the crowd. The interior is stylish and elegant and the food modern and delicious.

Baby Bao have a residency at one of my favourite pubs in Brighton, The Pond. They play great music and the bao buns are to die for. The pub is just down from Brighton station so great if you are getting off the train and looking for some tasty food.

Happy Maki is one of my favourite places for a takeaway lunch. They serve tasty vegan sushi burritos and it’s right by the beach. Just thinking about it now I think I need to go grab one and go for a swim.

Need a pick-me-up whilst exploring the lanes? Pop into Black Mocha for some sweet treats and their signature 70% chocolate mocha.

In need of some tequila & and tasty tacos? Halisco is the place. Serving Mexican street food and playing lively tunes, this little gem is pure vibes.

Kindly is a sustainable plant-based supermarket selling a wide range of lovely products making ethical and organic shopping available to all.

This place is legit and where the chefs go to eat. Serving modern sharing plates, amazing cocktails and good vibes Plateau can do no wrong.