Outdoor Swimming at Dosthill Quarry
Opening Times (excluding Bank Holidays)
Thurs & Fri 1-9pm, Sat & Sun 7am-4pm!!
But always check our times below before you come, particularly between October and April.
If there are no divers or swimmers on site by the last check-in time, the staff will close early.
Stressed with work &/or the kids? Lose that stress and come to Dosthill Quarry
from Thursday to Sunday and enjoy a relaxing swim!
Our pure, magnesium-packed water and picturesque location
are so calming, your tensions will float away!
With the opportunity of a floodlit night swim Thursday & Friday, from September to March inclusive
it is the ultimate relaxation activity.
That’s 4 days a week, including 2 days after work and after school!!
But all swimmers must register (for FREE)
by completing the online form further down this page.
Surface water temp at 05/01/2020
7.5 degrees
It’s easily the warmest lake in the region from October to March because of its depth, which retains the summer heat longer, compared to most local lakes which are much shallower, and lose their heat quickly. e.g. as ambient temperatures hit their low-point, shallow lakes can dip under 2 degrees, while Dosthill Quarry is comfortably at 7 degrees. So the lake will be warmer than the region’s shallow lakes until around April each year.
So continue to enjoy your swimming for longer than you might think!
Dosthill Quarry has been owned and operated by Ian Forster for 30 years.
You’ll enjoy the friendly family atmosphere that has made this incredibly attractive, and important, national swimming venue so popular. A former granite quarry flooded by a fresh water spring from 150 feet underground in 1934, the site is consistently recommended by swimmers for its clear, clean, pure, & healthy deep water.
Since Dosthill Quarry’s spring water is 5000 times more pure than the UK standards
for tap water, you’ll be missing out if you swim anywhere else!!
Not only have recent water tests confirmed the purity and clarity of the spring-fed lake, but also the presence of the spa mineral magnesium, considered to be the most important health mineral in the world. Read about the many health benefits here Magnesium – the most important mineral we all overlook.
No Swimmer’s Itch!
Unlike many shallow man-made lakes and former gravel pits that harbor freshwater snails, and parasites that infect swimmers, local residents and swimmers from many areas of the UK have enjoyed their sport free of the dreaded “swimmer’s itch” for more than 80 years. In fact, visiting swimmers who do have “the itch” often get better in this magnesium-rich, therapeutic spa lake.
Healthy Outdoor Training Centre
All abilities and ages are welcome, including costume-only and wetsuit swimmers (see our safety policy below). Whether you’re trying open water swimming for the first time, a child wanting to enjoy some splash time, or a member of our English Channel relay team you’ll get fitter and healthier at this amazing venue. Triathletes, in particular, can benefit from the variable rugged terrain of this 32 acre training centre by adding bike and run phases to their swim session. Or anyone just looking to get fitter, or lose weight, can benefit from the healthy outdoor environment.
Resident Swim-Bike-Run & Fitness Coach
ASA Swimming Teacher, Middle Distance Coach and former British team member, Ian Forster, is available for training tips and schedules.
Open 34 Hours A Week
We love helping our swimmers achieve their goals whether you do one 400m lap, a 40 lap/10000 metre swim, or a recreational swim around the lake, the clear water enables swimmers of any level to quickly improve their technique by being able to see the rotation and inclination of their hands during each stroke. Open 34 hours every week for you to get fitter, improve your swimming, and recover in our magnesium-packed ultra pure spring & spa lake.
Normal opening times
Dosthill Quarry is OPEN ALL THE YEAR (+ 5 bank Holidays by special arrangement and advance notice). Plan your swim to arrive within 3 hours of the closing time. If no swimmers or divers have checked in by this time the staff may well close early. If you intend to arrive late, or are running late, please call 01827 281304 to check if we will be open.
Thursday 1pm-9pm. Last check-in at 7:30pm. Exit from the water by 8:30pm.
Friday 1pm-9pm. Last check-in at 7:30pm. Exit from the water by 8:30pm.
Saturday 7am-4pm. Last check-in at 2:30pm. Exit from the water by 3:30pm.
Sunday 7am-4pm. Last check-in at 2:30pm. Exit from the water by 3:30pm.
Festive opening times 2019-20
Plan your swim to arrive within 3 hours of the closing time. If no swimmers or divers have checked in by this time the staff may well close early. If you intend to arrive late, or are running late, please call 01827 281304 or 07928 562916 to check if we will be open.
Thursday 26/12 9am-12am.
Friday 27/12 1pm-9pm. Last check-in at 7:30pm. Exit from the water by 8:30pm.
Saturday 28/12 & 04/01 7am-4pm. Last check-in at 2:30pm. Exit from the water by 3:30pm.
Sunday 29/12 & 05/01 7am-4pm. Last check-in at 2:30pm. Exit from the water by 3:30pm.
Venue facilities
Free parking Changing rooms Toilets Rescue boat
Resident swim-bike-run & fitness coach Video coaching
Hot & cold drinks Home-cooked snacks and meals
Equipment hire Well-stocked, competitively-priced shop
Normal Prices
£7 per casual swimmer per outdoor swimming session Thursday – Sunday, half price 5-15’s and dogs. These are reduced from October to March as a SwimSaver Club member.
£1 tow float hire. £4 shortie wetsuit hire. £6 full wetsuit hire. Training schedules & coaching from £5 per 10 min session priced according to need and whether personal, group or video.
How to Find Us
Dosthill Quarry National Dive site
Church Road
Dosthill
Tamworth, nr Birmingham
B77 1LL (postal only)
B77 1LU (best for satnav)
Use your satnav or Google Maps to locate postcode B77 1LU – Church Road, Dosthill.
We are at 52o59’64.10″N, 1o68’78.00″W. So better still, copy and paste the following Geographic coordinates into Google Maps or your satnav to find our exact location on earth!
52.596410,-1.687800
This should bring you into Church Road from the A51.
Please turn off car radios at this point to minimise noise disturbance to local residents.
Continue past the Church on your left, and turn left through green metal gates, into our site car park.
First New Year Swimmers
John Brain & Nick Balsdon are usually the first swimmers at Dosthill Quarry in the New Year at 7am when it is still dark! Note no suits in the positively tropical 8 degrees clear, clean spring-fed water. No algae, no swimmer’s itch, no freshwater snail parasites that bite. The first of many swims in an exciting new swimming year.
Information on Outdoor Swimming
Safety Policy. Whether you wear a costume only or a wetsuit, you are welcome. But to protect you in the deep water, you need adequate buoyancy. Wearing a wetsuit is the preferred way to prevent you sinking in the event of cramp (and keep you warm), and to increase your confidence if you are new to open water swimming. Many of our strong & confident swimmers tow a swim float summer & winter alike! If you don’t have a wet suit or tow float you can hire one for £1 tow float, £4 shortie wetsuit, £6 full wetsuit, or buy your own on site.
Course. The above outdoor swimming course has been carefully planned and set out to provide a single 400 metre lap with integral 100 metre and 50 metre legs for split times. Four laps (1600 metres) is 5 metres short of a mile. 1000 metres would be 2.5 laps. The course has been positioned away from the quarry walls, particularly at the southern end of the lap (bottom of photo) where occasional loose rockfalls can occur, and away from the diver training areas where diver ascents are more frequent. Other than when avoiding a diver, please ensure you stay close to the outdoor swimming course buoys and on the course line.
Divers. Your swim may coincide with times when scuba divers are using the quarry. You can see where they are in relation to you by bubbles breaking the surface of the water. One of the safe practices all divers should follow when surfacing is to extend their arm, look up and around and surface slowly. Should you see bubbles on the surface in front of you, during your swim be prepared to avoid the bubbles. However, by the time you get close to where you first saw the bubbles, normally the divers have moved well away.
Footwear. We recommend bringing suitable footwear, such as flip-flops, crocs, or some old trainers, for the outdoor swimming transition in and out of the water to avoid any discomfort or injury to your feet.
Outdoor Swimming Declaration. The ASA require a declaration to be made on an individual’s ability to complete a planned outdoor swimming activity. “It should be quite clear to the swimmer that they are declaring that they are not only fit enough and have the stamina to complete the distance, but also that the swimmer is medically fit to do so”. Any pre-existing medical condition including medication and/or sensitivity to particular drugs should be included on the form. Our registration below includes this declaration.
Safe Outdoor Swimming Always
Complete our FREE registration for outdoor swimming
Email is our preferred way of contacting our registered swimmers.
If you don’t have an email address, call Dive In Ltd on 01733 351288 (any day from 8am – 4.30pm) or Dosthill Quarry on 01827 281204 in sit opening times.
After you press the submit button you will receive confirmation that “Your registration for outdoor swimming was sent successfully to ian@dosthillquarry.com” and you will receive a confirmation email.
Print off the email and bring it with you on your first visit. Sign and date it at that time and we’ll retain it on file.