Collingham (Linton)
Part of the ‘blue crescent’ of brilliant swimspots around Wetherby is Collingham. (Some people more local than me call this spot Linton).
(I just made up that blue crescent thing, maybe it will catch on, like the rhubarb triangle).
This site is provided for information. People do swim at this spot, but this website in no way should be taken as proof that it is ‘safe’ to swim here. You must always make your own risk assessment, based on your own level of swimming competence and the conditions. Swim at your own risk. Always err on the side of caution, particularly if you are new to open water swimming. Educate yourself about the risks.
About
Collingham is a village just outside Wetherby. It’s possible to access the river at Beck Wood. However - there are many signs saying ‘no swimming or paddling’. According to Wikipedia - ‘The River Wharfe is dangerous at Collingham due to undercurrents, which are prevalent around Linton Bridge and the former viaduct’. I haven’t found any sources to support this, but obviously, as always, use caution and your judgement when swimming in open water.
Getting there
Park in the Beck Wood car park. The postcode is LS22 5AU, but this won’t take you to the car park so use the what3words or have a good look at the map before you travel.
Follow the path at the north east end of the care park to the pebbly ‘beach’. The Wharfe will often be very shallow here. Wade or swim upstream under the bridge and you should then be able to swim about 350m upstream until it gets very shallow (there’s a natural weir).
I recommend using the what3words app to help find exact spots. Selecting the links below will take you directly to a 3 metre square location.
Car Park - https://w3w.co/bunny.flood.legroom
Entry to water — https://w3w.co/slowly.today.sunflower (perhaps my favourite what3words combo so far)
River Swimming
Part of the charm of rivers is that they are changeable. For a swimmer this means that you must always assess the safety of entering the water. The depth and the speed of the water can increase quickly. You should avoid swimming in the Wharfe after heavy rain - this is when there is likely to be increased flow, as well as runoff from fields and often from treatment works.
Always be prepared to postpone your swim if the conditions aren’t right for you.
A brilliant resource for swimmers is the river gauge map. There is a station at Collingham. You can check the level before you travel to have an indication of what to expect.
You can also check the flow from a meter at Tadcaster. Above 12 m3/s the river is quite fast and difficult to swim against. Keep an eye on recent weather - it can take a couple of days for heavy rain from the dales to make it down to Wetherby.
