River Thames Reflections
Immersing in to the worlds
of Thames swimmers
The Research
Research Overview
Exploring the swimming community of the River Thames
This project will immerseesinto the river swimming community of England’s longest river:
the Thames. In the context of numerous threats facing our rivers, from sewage effluent to nitrate, phosphate and heavy metals pollution, I want to capture the significance of the Thames to its swimmers, and their significance to the river. This is a PhD research project funded by ESRC and based at Cardiff University.
Immersive Methods
Listening to the River Thames and its swimmers
Over the seasons of one year, from August 2025 to October 2026, I swam with Thames swimmers to immerse into their experiences of river swimming. I shared a total of 41 swim-along interviews which took place all the way from the river's source in Kemble to it's meeting with the North Sea in Canvey Island and Whitstable. Our conversations were recorded using a GoPro camera. This journey began through walking with the River from Source to Sea in June 2025. See the Methods page for further details.
Thank you to all the swimmers who generously shared their swim spots, stories and experiences with me!
About the Researcher
My name is Safi Bailey and I am a PhD researcher based in the Social Sciences School at Cardiff University. I grew up in Oxfordshire, a 10-minute walk from the River Thames. Having spent childhood summers and adulthood winters swimming in its waters, I have a deep affection for this river and its swimming communities. I want to understand what this river means to its swimmers and, in return, what they mean for their river.
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