Take the plunge: eight of the UK’s most magical tidal pools

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This article is part of a guide to London from FT Globetrotter

Tidal pools are a perfect harnessing of nature. They fill with seawater as the tide comes in and are a unique combination of natural formations and man-made elements such as metal steps or a cement boundary. Margate’s Walpole Bay has both, while some, such as Dancing Ledge in Dorset, were built with the help of dynamite to create a lozenge-shaped pool on a rocky platform.

The sea can, of course, be dangerous, with rip currents and strong tides, but the advantage of a tidal pool is that you are safe in an enclosed space. At St Monans, in Scotland, for example, where North Sea waves beat ferociously against the coast, making much of it inaccessible, a perfect rectangle of water offers a sheltered swim. Clevedon Marine Lake provides sanctuary from the strong tidal pull in the Bristol Channel.

This isn’t a purely British phenomenon. Tidal pools are also popular in countries where coastal communities have had to innovate ways to enjoy the sea while avoiding dangers such as colossal crashing waves (Malta) or sharks (Australia). The Victorians developed these sheltered pools when the beach became a holiday destination after the development of the railways. Tidal pools were an important symbol of leisure and luxury long before lidos or indoor swimming facilities. As travel abroad became more popular, however, seaside towns declined and tidal pools fell into disuse. Many today still struggle to stay open, with funds for repairs denied by councils and communities stepping in to shoulder the conservation efforts.

I was drawn to tidal pools because they became a metaphor of sorts. They’re a safe place to swim in turbulent waters and, after my brother died in 2016, I needed to dip my toes into a grief that felt overwhelming. In 2021, I decided to swim in every tidal pool in mainland Britain.

If you want to try wild swimming but feel nervous about the open expanse of the sea, tidal pools are a great place to start. As most of them are semi-natural, they’re unticketed and open any time, year round. That also means no admission, facilities or lifeguards, so try to travel with a friend. But remember one thing: you must check the tide, or the pool will be covered (I say this from experience after a rainy three-hour wait in Ilfracombe). You can easily find this information online or buy a pocket-sized tide timetable in seaside shops.

Here are three day trips to tidal pools from London and five further afield that make a great weekend trip.

Day trips from London

Walpole Bay, Margate

• Good for: Beach parties on New Year’s Day and a proper seaside swim 

• Not so good for: Getting out your depth 

• FYI: The fastest train to Margate from London is about 1.5 hours

• Website; Directions

Covering four acres, this tidal pool built in 1937 is the largest in Britain, which makes it perfect for swimmers who like their laps while avoiding strong currents. When most people think of tidal pools, the one like you’ll find at Walpole Bay springs to mind, with its three concrete sides and ladders dotted along the edge. There are no facilities, so swimmers leave clothes and towels on the shoreline.

On the beach there is also a wood-burning sauna, which like the tidal pool is open and free to the public. This sauna, built in the style of bathing machine on wheels, was kindly donated to local swimmers by Haeckels, the seaweed skincare company that is part of Margate’s renaissance. But the town’s connection to marine algae isn’t new — in Victorian times it was harvested from these Thanet shores.

After your dip, warm up with a fish lunch in one of Margate’s seafront eateries, then head to Turner Contemporary for an afternoon of art. One of my favourite bookshops, The Margate Bookshop, with its blue facade, can be found in the Old Town among vintage shops and ice-cream parlours.

If you’re looking for a celebratory swim, visit Walpole Bay on New Year’s Day, when locals meet for a dip and schnapps in front of a beach fire. If you enjoy this swim, the Kent coast has other tidal pools too. St Mildred’s Bay and Viking Bay make wonderful day trips from London; you can even do a coastal walk between the two.

Clevedon Marine Lake, Bristol

• Good for: Family fun and water activities 

• Not so good for: Rugged rural charm 

• FYI: Not far from Bristol and under a three-hour drive from central London

• Website; Directions 

You may recognise Clevedon’s pier from the movie adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. It was constructed with sections from one of Brunel’s railways and is the only Grade I-listed pier in the country. A short walk away is an infinity tidal pool.

Clevedon Marine Lake is a robust, rectangular tidal pool that is filled with seawater from the Bristol Channel every spring tide (twice each lunar month). It’s open almost every day of the year, with no need to book or pay, to swimmers, kayakers and paddleboarders. If you’re bringing your own equipment, it’s not far to carry it from the nearby car park.

The pool is not lifeguarded, but there are lifebuoys and regular open-water swimming coaching sessions, so it’s a good spot if you would like to try cold-water swimming with some supervision. The water is shallow around the edges but deep by the 250m-long sea wall — helpful to know if you’re new.

Clevedon Marine Lake is cared for by the local community. Each year there are spring and autumn cleans to drain the pool in order to stop silt building up, where the odd wedding ring or possession is apparently discovered.

Before your dip, stop by T.J. Pullin’s and Books on the Hill, so you can enjoy lemon macarons with a good read by the poolside.

Dancing Ledge, Dorset 

• Good for: Experiencing the elements as waves lash against the coast by this plunge pool

• Not good for: Anyone with mobility issues

• FYI: Two-hour train journey from London to Wareham, plus a local bus ride to pick up the South West Coast Path 

• Website; Directions

On Dorset’s Jurassic Coast you’ll find Dancing Ledge tidal pool. It is accessed by a clifftop path with a steep scramble at the end, so isn’t suitable for those with mobility issues or small children. Gripping the rocks when you scramble down to this roughly hewn pool requires getting hands on with its history: in the 1900s, the headmaster of a nearby preparatory school called Durnford (whose alumni included Ian Fleming) had it blasted into the rocky ledge with dynamite. Every morning, the boys had to jump into the icy waters, whatever the weather.

The pool is small and unsupervised. On a sunny day, you may have to wait patiently for your plunge when it gets crowded. Personally, I think it’s best to visit on slightly stormy days when the waves bound towards you and crash against the cliff while you remain totally safe in the tidal pool, occasionally showered with saltwater spray.

Make a weekend of your trip to Dorset and stay at The Pig on the Beach in Studland, 15 minutes away by car.

Weekend trips 

Chapel Pool, Polperro, Cornwall 

• Good for: Keeping things natural with a skinny dip when the coast is clear

• Not so good for: A quick trip from London — you will want to make a long weekend of it 

• FYI: Park outside Polperro in the public car park and walk through the village to the coastal path. Many of Polperro’s eateries close after lunch and then don’t serve food until dinner, so plan ahead. Be warned: there is very little mobile-phone reception

• Directions

While most tidal pools have walls and steps, Chapel Pool is a more natural affair. It nestles into the Cornish coastline with only a few feet of concrete at one end. There is an almost amethyst hint to the rocks that give it a bruise-like hue, and a fuzz of heathery seaweed on the rocks. At the bottom of the pool are small glinting shells.

Reaching the pool is an adventure in itself. The narrow streets of Polperro, a fishing village, were designed for horse and cart. It is pedestrianised in the summer months, so arrive via the public car park and walk through the village, stopping to browse the bric-a-brac at Rosina’s antiques. Pass the steps behind the 16th-century Blue Peter Inn on the quay and walk along the coastal path until the first left turn, where you’ll reach a metal railing that traces the descent. Although there are steps carved into the cliffs, it could be challenging for little ones. After your swim, stop in at The Blue Peter Inn on your way back for a warming fish stew.

Polperro is situated on the South West Coast Path, so you can continue walking in either direction, with Looe an easy five miles away or Polruan and Fowey a more challenging 6.5 miles. PS: Don’t get Chapel Pool confused with Chapel Rock, a tidal pool in Perranporth, on Cornwall’s north coast.

Mousehole Rock Pool, Cornwall 

• Good for: Cornish fishing village charm; a shallow paddling spot 

• Not so good for: Deep diving and dipping 

• FYI: Mousehole village is a short drive from Penzance. Park in the carpark behind the Rock Pool Café to find the tidal pool

• Directions

Mousehole’s tidal pool can be found in a charming historic fishing village full of narrow alleyways and cottages with thatched roofs, pretty front gardens and pastel-coloured shutters. The poet and playwright Dylan Thomas described it as “the loveliest village in England” when he lived here briefly in the 1930s. 

The tidal pool is square and shallow, so it’s perfect for children who want to paddle or explore rock pools. You might be reminded of Antonia Barber’s picture book The Mousehole Cat, which was based on local folklore about a brave fisherman called Tom and his cat Mowzer. Every December there’s a festival to celebrate the legendary fisherman, who took his boat out in a storm to provide a heroic catch for the starving village. In his honour, locals still eat Stargazy Pie made with egg, potato and baked pilchards, their heads poking through the crust as if gazing at the stars. For the 11 months that this curious pie is off the menu, treat yourself to crab sandwiches at the Rock Pool Café, which overlooks the tidal pool.

Castle Sands, St Andrews 

• Good for: Breaststroking with a view of historic castle ruins

• Not so good for: It’s a bit spooky

• FYI: It’s a short walk from St Andrews town centre

• Directions

Castle Pool sits below the walls of St Andrews Castle, built as the residence of Scotland’s leading bishop in the 12th century. Its ruins sit up high on a rocky outcrop over the North Sea and cast mysterious shadows on the sand. If you visit after high tide, the beach will be untouched, with rows and rows of ripples created by the waves. The rocks make a boundary towards the right and two concrete walls — one on the left and one the furthest stretch away — have been constructed to form a pool. Unlike other tidal pools, which lie across the beach, this one stretches out to sea, allowing enough space for breaststroking.

If you are not too chilly, head to Jannetta’s Gelateria, a St Andrew’s institution that has been family run for 115 years.

St Monans, Ansthruther, Scotland 

• Good for: Warming up with fish and chips after lengths in this boulder-hemmed pool.

• Not so good for: Treading on stones 

• FYI: Park in St Monans and walk for 10 minutes to the tidal pool 

• Website; Directions

St Monans tidal pool is a long rectangle of clay-coloured water with a tier of stone steps bordered by cement-filled sandbags like an air-raid shelter. It sits beneath a windmill that was once part of the 18th-century St Monans salt works, which would have traded mostly to fish curers. As you walk to the pool from the village car park, fuel slag and winkle shells will crunch beneath your shoes. It isn’t uncommon to find yourself stepping on archaeological finds when you visit tidal pools around here.

In 2021, locals cleared the tidal pool for the first time in 40 years, removing slippery stones, broken glass and bits of rusty metal. The pool still has a rocky bed, so wear sea shoes if you can. As you swim (laps are possible in this medium-sized pool), you will notice layers of red soil around you, scorched by the heat of the salt pans centuries ago. Circling around boulders in the pool with the waves leaping against the coast is a real communion with nature.

Head to Ansthruther, the next town along the coast and famous for Scotland’s best fish and chips. On weekends there’s a queue around the block for the eponymous fish bar but it is worth it. The catch of the day is sublime, and the mackerel and chips delicious too. If you’re committed to staying in St Monans, you’re spoilt for choice with East Pier for a fresh fish supper (think lobster tails and tempura prawns) or Giddy Gannet café for coffee and cinnamon rolls made by local brothers.

A five-minute drive away you’ll find Pittenweem, which also has a tidal pool. This spot is far more child-friendly, with amphitheatre-style seating built into the cliffs for watching swimmers and a noticeboard with recent seal and dolphin sightings.

Tunnels Beaches, Ilfracombe, Devon

• Good for: Leisurely swims in a large tidal pool, followed by a flop in a deckchair on the beach

• Not so good for: Visiting in low season (it’s open April to October)

• FYI: Trains from London to nearby Barnstaple take about 3.5 hours; Ilfracombe is a 4.5 hour drive from London

• Website; Directions

This pool is accessed by a tunnel through the Ilfracombe hillside that was hand-carved by Welsh miners in the 1820s. It’s a stunning, sheltered swim, steeped in history. It was originally gender-segregated, and horse-drawn bathing machines were wheeled to the water’s edge to protect the modesty of female swimmers.

When you swim at the pool at Tunnels Beaches, you can feel the past around you. There’s a sense that the rocks here have stories to tell.

Ilfracombe was transformed from a small fishing village into a popular seaside resort in the early 19th century, when local entrepreneurs employed miners to create six tunnels leading through to tidal pools. It took them two years, and four of the tunnels can still be visited today.

Unlike most tidal pools, Tunnels is privately owned and entry is paid. This does mean it comes with certain comforts, including a refreshment stand and deck chairs available to hire for the day. The pool itself is large and forms an almost shell-like shape — perfect for leisurely laps.

While in Ilfracombe, walk to the harbour to see Damien Hirst’s sculpture, “Verity”. In summer, look out for a Hocking’s van — they’re famous in North Devon for their clotted-cream ice cream. Stay overnight at Owl Valley campsite, from where you can visit Summerleaze beach, which is popular with surfers and also home to another tidal pool, Bude Sea Pool.

Freya Bromley is author of “The Tidal Year: A Memoir on Grief, Swimming and Sisterhood” (Coronet)

Tell us about your favourite tidal pools in the UK in the comments. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter