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Windermere, Lake District
13 June 2025

Arla Great North Swim

 

Timetable

2025 event day timetable*:

Time Distance
FRIDAY 13  
Friday 13:30 10k swim
Friday 13:30 5k swim FULL
Friday 14:45 5k swim
Friday 15:30 2 mile swim
Friday 17:30 1 mile swim

*Please Note. All times are subject to change in the lead up to the event.

10k Swimmers
Feed stations will be in place. Any swimmers wishing to use the feed station to hydrate will need to bring their own collapsible cup, as there are no plastic bottles at the event.

 

2025 event day timetable*:

Time Distance
SATURDAY 14  
Saturday 8:15 2 mile swim 
Saturday 09:30 1 mile swim
Saturday 10:00 1 mile swim 
Saturday 11:00 1 mile swim FULL
Saturday 11:30 1 mile swim
Saturday 12:00 1 mile swim FULL
Saturday 13:00 1 mile swim FULL
Saturday 13:30 Half mile swim FULL
Saturday 14:30 Swim 250 FULL
Saturday 15:00 Swim 250

*Please Note. All times are subject to change in the lead up to the event

 

2025 event day timetable*:

Original time Distance
SUNDAY 15   
Sunday 09:30 10k swim 
Sunday 09:30 5k swim FULL
Sunday 10:15 5k swim
Sunday 11:00 2 mile swim FULL
Sunday 12:30 2 mile swim 
Sunday 13:30 1 mile swim 
Sunday 14:00 Half mile swim Headway Quiet Wave
Sunday 14:30 Half mile swim
Sunday 15:00 Swim250

*Please Note: All times are subject to change in the lead up to the event. 10k Swimmers Feed stations will be in place. Any swimmers wishing to use the feed station to hydrate will need to bring their own collapsible cup, as there are no plastic bottles at the event.

The Headway Quiet Wave at 2pm is open to all swimmers who want to get in the water in a quieter environment. We won’t have any music playing, a low level PA and a reduced capacity so swimmers can get in the water with plenty of space around them.

 

Travel

 

We would encourage everyone travelling to and from the event to make use of the public transport options available and plan your journey in advance, as many travel options are pre-bookable and will sell out. Limited on-site parking spaces at Brockhole will be available to pre-book, and we are introducing a Park & Ride option this year. Tickets for both parking options will go on sale on Tuesday 15 April at 9am.

We also partner with local bus and ferry providers, and you can find more information on the services available in each tab.

There is a drop-off and pick-up turning circle at the venue. To ensure there are no delays on the road network there will be strictly no waiting on site. Parking on roadsides and verges is strictly forbidden, and the police would like to remind participants that any cars that are parked in these areas may incur penalty charge notices or be towed away.

The roads around Windermere and Ambleside will be very busy across the weekend. Please be considerate to other participants, residents and tourists and park responsibly. 

Event Site Parking

Limited event-site parking at Brockhole (LA23 1LJ) will be available to book on Friday 13, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June at a cost of £32 per day.

When you book a space you will receive a parking pass through the post approx. 2 weeks before the event to display in your car on the day. We expect spaces to sell out quickly so make sure you secure your place early to avoid missing out.

Event-site parking at Brockhole will be available to book from 9am on Tuesday 15 April.

Limited pay and display parking is also available at Waterhead Car Parks (35 mins walking time from the site), and Ambleside Car Parks (45 mins walking time and 15-20 mins cycle from the site). Local charges apply.

If you are planning on travelling to the event by car, in our efforts to be a little kinder to our environment, we highly recommend car sharing where possible.

 
 

Park and Walk

Park & Ride Service

Park & Ride tickets will be available to purchase from 9am on Tuesday 15 April.

We’re introducing a Park and Ride option for this year’s Arla Great North Swim.

The Park & Ride is located on Rydal Showground, Ambleside, LA22 9PN. Access to Rydal Showground is via Rydal Road, what3words///mysteries.restore.hazel. Coaches will be running every 20 minutes between the park and ride and Brockhole during the times shown below:

Friday: 11:30 -19:00 (Car park opens 11:00)

Saturday: 06:30 -16:30 (Car park opens 06:00)

Sunday: 07:30 -16:00 (Car Park opens 07:00)

We recommend arriving at the car park between 2-3 hours before your swim to allow plenty of time to travel to the event site and pick up your swim pack.

Park & Ride tickets cost £16. This will be a digital ticket (PDF) sent to you by email that you must show on event day. Your ticket will be valid for all coaches, not just the time slot selected, however when booking please try to select the accurate time you will be getting on the coach. This is to help us gauge the coach capacity during the day.

If you are planning on travelling to the event by car, in our efforts to be a little kinder to our environment, we highly recommend car sharing where possible.

View Park & Ride Map Here >

Park and Ride

Stagecoach Bus Service

A public Stagecoach bus service is available and stops at the entrance to the event venue. The 599 / 555 / 505 bus services operates from Bowness and Windermere in the South and from Ambleside in the North.

The service operates every 20 minutes. It is strongly recommended that you book your ticket in advance on the stagecoach app, to allow Stagecoach to forecast the demand and increase services where required.

The first bus from Windermere starts at 06:04 am and 06:45 am each day (please check timetable for any service updates).

View Bus Service Map Here >

Bus Travel

Windermere Lake Cruises

Windermere Lake Cruises have carried a huge number of our swimmers and their friends and families over recent years. Pre-bookable tickets for the direct shuttle service from Bowness or Ambleside to Brockhole will be available to book via the Windermere Lake Cruises website closer to the event.

Please aim to arrive at the event site 2 hours before your wave start time to allow time to pick up swim packs, and allow plenty of time after your swim to change and enjoy some food and drink on site, before you head home.

Ferry travel

Cycling to the Event

This will undoubtedly be one of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel, with the added benefit of avoiding queues and allowing you to travel exactly when you want to. If you live or are staying locally this would be a great option for you.  

Cycle hire is available in Bowness and Ambleside, as well as from National Trust campsites in the area. For anyone planning to cycle to the event, there will be limited bike parking stands on-site at Brockhole (please bring your own lock).

View Map Here>

Cycling

Wetsuit Policy

 

Wetsuit use is optional at all Great Swim events for water temperatures of 15C or above. Swimmers choosing not to wear a wetsuit MUST use an approved high visibility tow float, swimmers wearing wetsuits can also choose to swim with a tow float. This only applies to swimmers aged over 16 years old. Swimmers aged under 16 will be required to wear a wetsuit. More information can be found on our FAQ page here.

We are delighted to be working with Zone3, our official wetsuit partner. Day and Season Wetsuit rental available from just £30. Click here to find out more.

Water Safety

 

We just want to reassure you that you are in very safe hands while taking part in your swim. We have lots of fully trained water safety kayakers, lifeguards and boats monitoring you all the way around, so you're never far from some friendly support.

If you find yourself struggling, or in need of a little breather, just lay on your back or tread water and pop your hand up, and one of our safety team will make their way to you to check everything is ok. We have plenty of safety craft on the water and someone will reach you as quickly as possible.