The tranquil Cambridge nature reserve where you can swim in a river

Charles Darwin carried out some of his work and research in the nature reserve

There are several grand rivers that flow throughout Cambridgeshire. These rivers are some of the most tranquil sights on a quiet sunny day.

River Cam is one of the most famous rivers, and there is one nature reserve where you can actually swim in it. This is at Sheep’s Green and Coe Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridge.

While people are advised to be careful, the River Cam at Sheep’s Green is a popular spot for swimming. In May 2024, the river was given designated bathing water status.

So on a quiet and peaceful summer’s day, this will be the perfect place to swim and be closer to nature. The nature reserve is also a hotspot to see wildlife.

Those who visit will often see herons, kingfishers, and little egrets. Water voles also thrive along the riverbanks, and pipistrelle and Daubenton bats are also common at night. There are a number of willow trees across the nature reserve that provide the perfect place for shade on the sunniest days.

The reserve also has played an important part in history for a world-renowned naturalist and geologist. Charles Darwin used to hunt beetles and collect insects on the reserve when he was an undergraduate student at Christ’s College between 1828 and 1831.

There is a plaque that marks the work Darwin carried out on the green. Some of the beetles he collected are also on display at the University Zoology Museum.

If you fancy a swim in a Cambridgeshire river or explore a green space where one of the world’s most influential people worked, visit Sheep’s Green and Coe Fen.