Tracing the lines
Swimdermere is an immersive research project that traces the different bodily, socio-cultural, political, and ecological lines of open-water swimming and environmental health at Windermere, England’s largest lake. The research is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, South West Doctoral Training Partnership, and the University of Exeter (Human Geography).
Research Focus
Swimdermere questions the relationships between open-water swimming and environmental health at Windermere, focusing on two popular designated bathing sites (Rayrigg Meadow and Millerground) over a full 12-month season (September 2022 – September 2023).
This immersive research project included: (1) observing general swimming/lake activity and water/weather conditions, alongside recording the researchers personal swim responses; and (2) recording separate one-to-one ‘swim-along interviews’ with open-water swimmers.
Both recordings included written diaries, photographs, audio, and videos.
Swimming with Care at Windermere
Research Zine collaboration between Taylor Butler-Eldridge and Bethan Thorsby.
Research Events
Collaborative research events and public lectures funded by the ESRC and SWDTP. Click on the thumbnails below to find out more.
Recent Posts
Special Issue Journal Article, Health & Place
‘Swimming, confusion, and plenty of brews: Negotiating ambivalence within Windermere’s fragile waters’ My first peer reviewed journal article was published in Health & Place earlier this month – a huge milestone for the project. Access Article The article forms part of a forthcoming Special Issue (The Blue Un/Commons: Tracing New Directions in Research on Outdoor […]
Podcast on Windermere & Water Quality with UKCEH
The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) invited me to contribute my initial research findings on the socio-cultural relationships between outdoor swimming and environmental health at Windermere on their new podcast, ‘Counting the Earth’. The podcast is titled, ‘A Deep Dive into Windermere’. It includes interviews with freshwater scientists at UKCEH, Eleanor Mackay […]
Placement (Freshwater Biological Association)
Yesterday was my last day on placement as Communications and Engagement Assistant for the Freshwater Biological Association (FBA). The FBA are a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and charitable trust dedicated to understanding and conserving freshwaters across the globe. Based in Windermere, Lake District National Park – the FBA has been shaping and driving internationally significant research […]
Windermere Science Evening
The second Windermere Science Evening on Wednesday, 20th March 2024, at the Old Laundry Theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere was a huge success. We hosted guests in-house and online, with a combined audience of over 140 people. Thank you to our speakers, and to everyone who attended, shared the event, generated questions on the night, and provided […]
That’s a wrap!
That’s a wrap. One hundred visits staggered across September 2022 – September 2023. Last Sunday morning marked the end of my twelve month fieldwork at Windermere. Thank you to the Rayrigg regulars for letting me join in your weekly dip during my final visit. There is no way I can summarise an entire year on […]
Environmental Concerns
Environmental concerns at Windermere are again making local and national headlines, generating significant attention around sewage pollution and the seasonal fluctuations of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). I recognise this attention has created further adaptation, ambivalence, and avoidance within the swim communities, so I thought it may be useful to offer a snippet of my reflections explored […]
