Yorkshire Beauty Spot Named Among 13 Approved New Bathing Spots Across England

Some good news for England’s waters as 13 new protected swimming spots have been announced, including one in Yorkshire. A 164ft stretch of the River Swale, just above the picturesque Richmond Falls, has officially been designated as one of the country’s newest bathing water sites.

The move means the location will now be subject to regular water quality testing by the Environment Agency, with results published during each bathing season between May and September.

The Surfers Against Sewage website, which tracks real-time water quality and campaigns for improved environmental policies, described the announcement as a “huge, huge win”, praising the “grassroots community effort” that helped secure the designation.

The organisation said: “Today is unequivocally a moment to celebrate. Each of these new bathing sites is proof that each of us, as individuals, can make a real, tangible difference. The communities who have applied, ten of which we were so proud to support through Protecting Wild Waters, deserve to be celebrated.”

Discussing England’s bathing waters, they said these areas had been protected for decades but had focused almost exclusively on coastal locations, with the River Wharfe in Ilkley becoming the first river site to receive designated bathing water status. They described the addition of the 13 new sites as a positive step forward, hoping the move will help improve water quality in these areas.

The BBC reports that Deborah Meara, chair of the Save Our Swale campaign group, which applied for the new status, said they were “delighted” with the news, although some concerns have been raised about the site’s proximity to the falls. There was a petition by Nathan Murphy last year, after a 12-year-old boy, Khaled Basem Al Satouf, who was from Leeds, drowned.