A midweek dip in fairy territory, complete with wrong turns, clean loos, and a cold plunge.

We set off to Malham aiming for a chilled-out weekday adventure to Janet’s Foss — a popular wild swimming spot with a splash of folklore. Spoiler: it was lovely, but yes, I got lost before I even saw water.

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Parking & Facilities

We parked at the National Trust Car Park (BD23 4DA) — easy to find, plenty of space at 9:45am on a weekday.

• £6 for all day
• £3.80 for under 2 hours
• Worth it, honestly, especially when you factor in:

🧻 Toilets were spotless, free to use (with a little 20p honesty box outside). A clean bog for 20p? That’s elite countryside value.

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The Accidental Woodland Detour

Here’s where I prove I need supervision:
We didn’t download the route. Took a left out of the car park… straight into woodland. Which would’ve been fine if I was doing the full Malham Circular — but I wasn’t.

So yeah — the first 15 minutes were spent going the wrong way. Map skills: 0. GPS: off. Me: lost in pretty woods.
Eventually rejoined the proper path (like champions), but lesson learned: next time I’ll download the route to my watch.

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Arriving at Janet’s Foss

We got there around 10:45 — just as the school trips started rocking up. Two groups were already there, and we passed seven on the way back. If you’re going for a quiet swim, aim early or risk being upstaged by 9-year-olds in wetsuits.

While we waited (about 30 mins), we got a bit of an impromptu history lesson:

🧚‍♀️ Janet, the local fairy queen, apparently lived in the cave behind the waterfall.
In 1786, a father and son went for a dip… and only the father came back. The mother searched high and low, only to hear a woman’s voice whisper: “he is safe.”

Chilling? Yes. Real? Debatable. Magical? 100%.

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The Swim

Once the kids cleared out, in we went.

• Water was cold but refreshing
• Roomy enough for a proper swim
• I’m 6’2” and had no issue with depth
• Slippy rocks near the edge, so take care — but that’s wild swimming for you

A very decent place for a quick dip, and the vibe of the spot is just nice — shaded, enclosed, and a little enchanted-feeling. Would love to go again in early autumn.

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Terrain & Track

The walk itself was very accessible:

• Paved in places, easy underfoot
• Woodland paths slightly slippy but manageable
• Family-friendly, though probably best with grippy shoes

You won’t need hiking boots, but trainers with some tread are a shout.

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Not This Time, Pubs

Didn’t get chance to explore the local pubs or do the full circular walk this round — but I’ll definitely be back for the longer trail and a proper post-dip pint.

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The Verdict

As a short walk and wild dip spot:

• Ease of access: 10/10
• Clean facilities: 10/10
• Scenery: 7/10 (lovely, but not mind-blowing)
• Swim spot quality: 8.5/10
• Lost-in-the-woods rating: 10/10 (for me, not you)

Overall Walk Score: 7/10
Would recommend — just don’t forget your map, or you’ll be wandering around looking for fairies.

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Have you been to Janet’s Foss? Did you see Janet? Or just midgies? Drop a comment!