SWIMMING through the pleasingly warm water, my bright-pink tow float streaming behind me and a family of ducks paddling in front of me, I glance up at the sky as two herons fly over in perfectly synchronised formation. This is my kind of wild swimming.
I’m taking a dip in the 11-acre lake at Watersedge, a wellness retreat in the countryside near Pershore, 25 minutes south-east of Worcester.
My swim session, £10.50, is really friendly and well-organised – with swimmers wearing ID wristbands, bright hats and tow floats, and three lifeguards on boards and canoes in the water with us as we swim one of the 750m, 300m and 150m loops.
Groups breaststroke and chat their way round, while others front-crawl impressively quickly, but there’s a sense of community among everyone.
Later, I wander across to the Wild Spa, where there are three different temperatures of wood-fired sauna, plus two small hot tubs.
To cool down, there’s an ice cabin, cold-water bucket and, of course, the lake itself. One-hour sessions cost £18.
We’re staying in The Den, Watersedge’s largest lakeside lodge.
The light, airy space has three double bedrooms, two with French doors overlooking the water, two bathrooms, and an outside space with a hot tub, barbecue and fire pit.
Once the final swimmers have left for the evening, it’s a haven of calm, and is equipped with everything you need for a cosy night in – a large, squishy corner sofa, huge TV, a stack of board games and a wood-burner for cooler evenings.
The swish kitchen comes with a L’Or coffee machine, induction hob and cute banquette eating area.
But, as it’s a lovely evening, my partner Steve and I make the 20-minute walk into the village of Bishampton to Ounce at The Dolphin for its Thursday-night Chateau Club, which offers a 16oz fillet chateaubriand for just £20 a person.
Steve declares the perfectly cooked steak to be in the top three he’s ever eaten, and we wash it down with blackberry-rich malbec, £8.40 a glass (Ouncebar.co.uk).
Come morning, there are plenty of farm shops close by, but we’ve booked a breakfast hamper, £50 for six people, full of refreshing juices, juicy sausages and bacon to save heading out.
After our fry-up, we try standup paddleboarding (SUP), £20 per person.
The lake is shallow around its edges, so getting back on the board if you fall off (which I do, with a huge splash!) is fairly straightforward.
Soon we’re paddling around like pros, though our arms definitely get a workout when the breeze picks up and we have to navigate our way back to the jetty.
Keen to stretch out our achy muscles, we join a packed Pilates class, £12.50, in the beautiful studio that juts out over the lake.
Instructor Alex puts us through our paces and we promise ourselves we’ll try the fun-looking bungee fitness class next time.
But for now, I’ve earned a treat – and that’s exactly what I get, thanks to wellness therapist Jen’s blissful 45-minute full-body, hot-stone massage, from £50.
Rested and restored, we gaze across the water one last time from our sunloungers on the lake’s small beach area.
Spotting one of the herons, we find ourselves wishing we too could make our home close to this special place.
Stays at The Den cost from £300 per night for up to eight people.
Guests benefit from 10% off all activities (Watersedge.club).
CAREFREE Kate Moss holidays with daughter Lila — as it emerged creditors will not see any of the £2.9million owed after her wellness brand collapsed.
Kate, 52, donned a black swimsuit for a soothing dip in the Med while she relaxed on a £1,340-a-day hired yacht.
Model Lila, 23, opted for a bikini on the jaunt with friends to the Spanish island of Formentera.
But back home liquidator reports for Kate’s failed Cosmoss business disclosed £240,000 of remaining products would be destroyed as they cannot be sold.
Kate, worth £55million, launched the high-end brand in 2022.
The move sparked comparisons with Gwyneth Paltrow’s successful firm Goop.
Kate sold natural, vegan and cruelty-free items including a facial oil, incense, a £120 fragrance called Sacred Mist and a £20 canister of Dawn Tea.
She wrote at the time: “I feel my most authentic self and I’m ready to open up and share with you.”
But the brand quietly shut down and entered voluntary liquidation last summer.
Kate has now withdrawn from a shareholders’ agreement involving her image and intellectual property rights — meaning the stock is worthless.
Paperwork filed at Companies House states: “It was confirmed that the products could not be sold on the open market.
“The stock was abandoned..”
The liquidator’s statement said there is just £3,454.88 left in the company’s coffers.
Earnings Call Insights: Ascend Wellness Holdings (AAWH) Q2 2026
Seeking Alpha’s Disclaimer: This article was automatically generated by an AI tool based on content available on the Seeking Alpha website, and has not been curated or reviewed by humans. Due to inherent limitations in using AI-based tools, the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such articles cannot be guaranteed. This article is intended for informational purposes only. Seeking Alpha does not take account of your objectives or your financial situation and does not offer any personalized investment advice. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank.
A HUGE new lido has opened in the UK with saunas and a wellness space.
Found at Canary Wharf’s Eden Dock in London, Sea Lanes is a new ‘floating’ lido.
The 50-metre long and 1.3-metre deep pool is a year- round attraction and has two saunas.
In total there are six lanes for swimming.
Sea Lanes has dubbed it the city’s “leading destination for open water swimming,health and wellbeing”.
Next to the lido, visitors will also find a clubhouse, where wellness events are hosted.
Read more on travel inspo
The first at the clubhouse is on June 25 and features an Open Water Masterclass with Olympian Katy Sexton.
There’s a spot to grab a bite to eat by the pool as well with breakfast dishes including mushroom and avocado flatbread (£11) and build-your-own-lunch bowls from £11.
The pool will be open from 6am to 9pm Monday to Friday and from 7am to 7pm at the weekends.
Make sure to check the website before you visit as well, for the latest details about the weather and water temp.
With this weekend’s weather expected to hit highs of 30C, the current 16.4C water makes for a refreshing dip.
There are a number of different memberships available including the Swim and Sauna membership, which gives unlimited access to the pool and saunas all year round.
It costs £90 per month.
Alternatively, visitors can pay-per-swim, which will cost £10 for a swim session, £10 for a sauna session or £18 for both.
If visitors want to rent a wetsuit, they can do so at a small store too.
The first visitor at the pool today said: “First one in the water on opening day.
“What a fantastic facility in the middle of Canary Wharf!
“The pool was the perfect temperature for swimming without wetsuit.
“The changing facilities were bright and clean with lovely hot showers, hairdryers and lockers.
“Love the two saunas with whole wall picture windows facing the pool.
“From the chats with other swimmers, I can picture a wonderful community developing here.”
