Hardy group of 10 take on open-water swim to Holy Island

A group of hardy swimmers tackled an open-water swim to Holy Island at the weekend.
The swimmersThe swimmers
The swimmers

The 10 participants swam from The Pinnacles on the Northumberland mainland to Lindisfarne Castle.

The route was 1,560metres – nearly a mile in length – and the swimmers had to battle choppy tides.

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The group followed in the footsteps of Robson Green, who swam the exact same journey as part of his Wild Swimming Adventure television show which was broadcast a number of years ago.

The group included representatives from Alnwick Sea Swimmers and Morpeth Dolphins.

Among the group was Claire Thorburn, Jill Henderson, Jane Hardy and Sylvia Bland, who all hit the headlines last month for swimming from the Farne Islands to mainland Northumberland.

Jack Carrigan, of Alnwick Tri Juniors, also took part, while Maddy Stuart-Cole, from Morpeth Dolphins, completed the swim doing backstroke.

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The others were Rachel Pencil and Carlos Montiero, as well as Morpeth Dolphins Matthew Eke and Ed Stuart-Cole.

Jane said: “It took a lot of organising, but the swim went really well. We swam at high tide – it was the highest spring tide of the year – so it was very choppy and a lot of getting smacked in the face. It wasn’t for the fainthearted.

“Along the way there were seals, jellyfish and seaweed and we even got dolphins on the journey back.”

The group has thanked Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips for keeping them safe in the water and also to Seahouses RNLI.

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Jane, 49, is also determined to swim to more castles and says that she would like to swim to 50 in 2017.

She said: “I am 50 next year and I would love to swim to 50 castles during my 5oth year. I have got a bucket list.”