The classic Original Triple Crown Bristol Channel Swim. 16 Miles in a straightline from Glenthorne House on the Border of Devon and Somerset in England to Bridgend County, Wales. This swim is not about the shortest distance, its about beating one of the strongest tides in the world to swim the minimum distance for the Original Triple Crown (English, Bristol and North Channels).
Click the tracks for details of past swims
Clickable routes
The starting point for this swim is a remote and spectacular rocky beach in front of the Glenthorne House, nestled on the imposing Devon Cliffs, on the border between Devon and Somerset.
On the English side the tide sweeps almost due East/West. We swim out on the last of the ebbing tide, clearing Foreland point and making as much progress North on the slack tide in front of the beautiful lighthouse.
A large sandbank extends out to the West from Nash point and the tide absolutely rushes around the point; it can reach 10kph on a spring tide. Plotting the speed of the swimmer and the size of the tide and getting into the right place off Nash Point at the right time as the tide begins to turn is absolutely critical to the success of the swim. When it turns all of that water rushes back through Nash Passage and up the coast to Porthcawl.
If we have it right, the last few hours of the swim is a victory lap, lazy rivering up the coast past Monk Nash, Witches Point and finally the River Ogmore; the boundary to Bridgend County and the marker the Original Triple crown criteria have been met.
On anything but the smallest of neap tides, the battle against the tide on this swim can be huge. It can turn into a massive fight not to get swept a huge distance up channel towards Cardiff; a distance you need to swim back to Nash point before starting the leg north towards Porthcawl.