Really wild

We love a spot of wild swimming. So do our friends at Canopy & Stars who have compiled this list of rustic hideaways in France and the UK for would-be water babes.  

Poacher’s Cabin, above, in the Dordogne, is TV wildlife presenter Kate Humble’s woodland cabin, a rustic work of art on its own private lake. It’s right in the heart of the Périgord-Limousin national park, surrounded by forest and farmland and criss-crossed by off-road cycle and walking paths. From £95 per night (sleeps two); minimum three-night stay.Bella Mia is moored on a beautiful stretch of the Canal du Midi. You can swim and fish in the River Cesse, literally on your ‘doorstep’ and cycle along the tow path to pretty villages nearby. From £90 per night (sleeps two); minimum three-night stay. Guests at Little Rock, also in the Dordogne, get to swim in their very own lake in a secluded woodland. As well as a perfectly proportioned hand-built cabin to call home, there’s a boat for messing about in and a handful of nearby villages to explore. From £56 per night (sleeps two); minimum three-night stay.  Plas Bach is a fully equipped eco-cabin, a stone’s throw from the River Wye in Herefordshire. Potter along the river in a canoe and dive in for a swim when the fancy takes you. From £79 per night (sleeps two). The Gardener’s Hut, on the Scottish Borders, is perfectly located for exploring the deserted beaches and hidden coves of the Heritage Coastline. Pack your walking boots and discover the wilder parts of the surrounding area or just wander straight through the ancient oak wood to meet the river. From £85 per night (sleeps two); minimum two-night stay. This is Fleur’s Retreat, hidden away on a farm near Crediton, Devon. It’s perfectly positioned in a secluded stretch of countryside complete with a wildlife pond and an utterly private patch of woodland. There are plenty of rivers nearby, each of them a good wild swimming spot. From £93 per night (sleeps two, extra space for four adults); minimum two-night stay.

BY MAGGIE O’SULLIVAN