You don't have to head to the coast for a beach experience this summer as there are a surprising number of places which have shallow water and beautiful scenery inland.

Whether it be swimming in water near ancient ruins or a river near a country pub or simply relaxing in one of the countryside's historic meadows there is plenty of options.

We have looked up and down the country and enlisted the help of Daniel Smart a wild swimming expert and he has helped spot some unlikely places to go.

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Probably best to be discreet at this pebble beach at a location designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest which provides an ideal place for a leisurely stroll, picnic or family day out.

The reservoir was created in 1965 to provide people with drinking water and was immediately colonised by wildlife.

It's a bird watchers dream.

The nature reserve surrounds the western side of the reservoir and contains ancient and plantation woodlands, grasslands and wetland habitats such as reedbeds, willow and open water.

A local nature reserve at Wollaston in the Upper Nene Valley.

Explore this network of wild gravel lakes along the R Nene, or take a dip in the river itself.

There is bird watching and if you are lucky you might glimpse an otter.

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In Little Barrington there are perfect riverside pubs and in Minster Lovell it flows past the remains of a fifteenth-century manor. Here, alongside the great old arches and ruined walls, you can bathe in the blue-tinged waters and catch crayfish big enough for supper.

A small, clear, pretty Cotswold river running through romantic grounds of the ruins. Just deep enough to swim with deeper sections downstream at footbridge.

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Undeveloped and picturesque stretch of river along the edge of the Chiltern Hills. Clear with chalk beaches.

An outdoor river swimming spot suitable for distance / endurance, family friendly activities.

Pangbourne is where the River Pang joins the Thames. Its most notable resident was Kenneth Grahame, author of The Wind in the Willows so keep your eyes open for wildlife.

The three Hampstead Heath swimming ponds are probably the best known of central Londons wild swims. The Mixed Pond is the closest to the tube and always rings with a holiday air.

Groups loll about on the lawn, picnics are consumed, friends breast-stroke down the avenue of trees catching up on old news and gossip.

The Mens Pond is bigger and Ladies Ponds wilder, but both are a little more difficult to reach if you dont have a bike.

The ponds date back to the end of the seventeenth century when the Hampstead Water Company dammed two brooks that drain the Heath, piping the water down to the city in hollowed out elm trees.

A painting by Constable depicts people bathing at Hampstead as early as 1829.

Popular stretch of grassy river bank and meadows. Steep banks and deep water.

Just north of Rodmell and Charleston, upstream on the Ouse, the open fields of Barcombe Mills are a perfect place for cricket, leapfrog and other riverside games.

The Ouse here is deep with pretty grassy banks, ideal for cooling down after cartwheels or diving in for a long swim among the rushes.

The well-known Anchor Inn is nearby, just a mile upstream, at the bottom of a dead-end lane.

You can hire one of its fleet of blue rowing boats or swim for over two miles through remote countryside, the spire of Isfield church the only building in sight for the entire journey.

Sandy lake with beaches and buoyed-off swimming area. Set among forest and open heathland. Parking, caf and small museum. Popular with young families.

Frensham Little Pond is on the A287 and feeds into the Wey which flows down into Tilford.

This is a truly English scene with a cricket green and pub, river paddling above a ford and a bridge built by medieval monks.

Its a perfect place to while away a summer afternoon with lunch and a paddle or swim there is a rope swing below the weir and some deeper sections above the bridge.

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Just half a mile south of Guildford. Sandy slopes running right into the river one side, flat grassy area the other with a footbridge.

Sandy beach, ruined chapel and bridge for jumping on the old Pilgrims Way.

This is apparently a beautiful space , with a sand pit that rolls down the hill into the west bank of the river creating a beach.

Pretty village pool with shelving access, grassy banks and bench. White chalk shingle riverbed.

The river holds many smaller fish, including minnows, stone loach, bullhead and the rare brook lamprey.

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Ancient but little known common in tight loop of Wye providing large shingle and sandy beach shelving to large deep pool.

This area of meadow has age-old commoner rights and occupies the inside of a large, deep meander.

A wide pebble beach has been deposited over time on the inside bank and large deep swimming holes have been eroded on the outside.

The sand and pebbles are beautifully graded so you can even bring your bucket and spade.

Close to Whitby, on the other side of the A169, is Falling Foss, romantically set in deep woods by the fairy-tale cottage of Midge Hall.

Set over a deep black chasm into which a small stream flows, smoke was billowing from the chimney and in the evening light it was a scene reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel.

Its a fair trek to reach the bottom of the falls, backtracking and then picking a way along the overgrown stream bed.

Standing on the shingle beach looking up, the waterfall flows down the jet black cliff like a white veil, breaking into hundreds of competing rivulets.

A tall plume and small deep plunge pool at the head of a wooded gorge. Shingle beach. Overlooked but feels secluded.

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A popular stretch of river in front of the priory ruins. Upstream of stepping stones and bridge is deeper section where people sometimes use boats.

Downstream are the shallows but underground rocks make swimming difficult and diving dangerous.

The great ruins of this major monastic enclave sit on a bend of the river above a stretch of pebbly beaches.

During the hottest days it becomes a Yorkshire Costa del Sol: a mass of swimmers and sunbathers mixed with suntan lotion and sloppy ice cream.

Upstream the river is deep enough for swimming, downstream it is shallow enough for paddling and stone skimming.

Amazing wild ruined castle with secret pools in river downstream.

Reputed to have been founded by Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur. According to legend, Uther Pendragon and a hundred of his men were killed here when the Saxon invaders poisoned the well.

Four miles beyond Hell Gill on B6259, turn L at Pendragon Castle and after mile, at cattle grid, follow footpath track (signed Wharton). After five mins youll spot a corner pool with beach below.

Pendragon castle is on private land. Access is permitted, but care must be taken it is in a potentially dangerous condition despite some recent restoration.

Considered by some to be the most beautiful valley in the Lakes. A steep-sided vale, running ten miles from its sources beneath Scafell down to the shores of Derwent Water, it is spectacular and remote, with waterfalls, deep pots and high tarns.

An old lady who lived on St Herbert Island in Derwent Water once told Beatrix Potter the story of a squirrel that swam out from the mainland to collect nuts each summer.

The lake is scattered with wooded isles and the story and location became the inspiration for The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, in which the squirrel and his friends built a raft of twigs and used their tails as sails to reach the island.

Now the lake is a little too busy with ferries for my liking, though there are still plenty of places to bathe along the shore, and squirrels do still swim here.

Meadows and common land on outskirts of Hereford.

The meandering Lugg bores deep holes in the bends with plenty of little beaches.

These are the largest known modern example of Lammas meadows in Britain, with ownership divided into strips marked by dole stones.

The meadows are still managed in accordance with this medieval system and an active commoners association controls the grazing rights.

With its intermittent gravel beaches and deeper pools.

1) Never swim in canals, urban rivers, stagnant lakes or reedy shallows.

2) Never swim in flood water and be cautious of water quality during droughts.

3) Keep cuts and wounds covered with waterproof plasters if you are concerned.

4) Avoid contact with bluegreen algae.

5) Never swim alone and keep a constant watch on weak swimmers.

6) Never jump into water you have not thoroughly checked for depth and obstructions.

7) Always make sure you know how you will get out before you get in.

8) Dont get too cold warm up with exercise and warm clothes before and after a swim.

9) Wear footwear if you can.

10) Watch out for boats on any navigable river. Wear a coloured swim hat so you can be seen.

Wild Swimming: 300 Hidden Dips in the Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls of Britain is available from Amazon.

More here:

Britain's best secret 'beaches': 15 scenic spots near you which are perfect for swimming, paddling and picnics - Mirror.co.uk