Look for the old schoolhouse on the left as you come into the (very pretty) village of Ashford Carbonel. You can normally park further along into the village nr the Village Hall. Almost exactly opposite the old school across the road is a small track with a ‘public bridleway’ sign and gate at the top. Follow the track down to the bend in the River Teme and Ashford Carbonel’s ‘beach’. The track (public bridleway) is apparently an access rd for a Severn Trent treatment facility which is further downriver from the swimming site around a large river bend.
People have clearly swam here for generations as evidenced by the nearby rope swing (make sure you swing clear of the rock underneath if you use!). When we arrived there were two other families with kids at the ‘beach’ who were swimming, picnicking and paddling. One gent I spoke to had been swimming there since he was a child and explained how popular it could get on hot summer days.
The site itself is on a bend of the River Teme and the gravel beach shelves (sometimes steeply in places) into a pool which I would estimate to be between 8 and 10ft deep at the time of writing (although this arrangement can apparently change substantially after the river has been in flood).
As with all of the river sites, you’ll need to use your common sense regards swimming here. When we were there it was summer, the flow was very minimal in the pool and it was a luxurious experience swimming across the deep, dark hole on the river bend. I can imagine that it can become unsafe at other times of the year though as the flow increases (to be fair as do most river sites though). Try standing in the shallows here and see how long it takes for little Stickleback fish to come along and nibble your feet – a free pedicure..
N.B. The ends of people’s gardens back down on to some of this site in the nearby woods – please try to respect their privacy and peace if on the river beach here.
UPDATE: We have been advised by a representative of the village that, although this river beach has been used for swimming for many years, the beach and part of the access to it is privately owned despite there being a bridleway leading from the village to the beach. The village is keen to ensure outsiders do not visit the river here as such. Should you decide to visit irrespective of this warning, then please be respectful and discrete. – See more at this link