Historical Swimming

Lord Byron - Swimming Poets

Ria Bleathman · 30 August 2026

Lord Byron - Swimming Poets

Lord George Gordon Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) is regarded as one of the greatest British poets but what is less widely known is that Lord Byron was an excellent open water swimmer. His swim across the 6.4km Hellespont (now called the Dardenelles) on his second attempt on 3rd May 1810 (to re-create the swim by Leander to his mistress Hero from Greek mythology) was the first-ever recorded incident of someone swimming in open water as a recreational activity.

He wrote a poem titled: “After Swimming the Hellespont” with the immortal lines:

For me, degenerate, modern wretch, Though in the genial month of May, My dripping limbs I faintly stretch, And think I’ve done a feat to-day,

His other notable swimming feats included swimming the length of the Grand Canal in Venice Italy, swimming across the Tagus River in Portugal and swimming 7.5km across the bay of Portovenere to San Terenzo in Italy in 1822 to visit his fellow English muse, Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Lord Byron was born with a club foot (possibly dysplasia) which, because of this, or in spite of it, inspired him to be proficient in the water.

To honour his pioneering contribution to open water swimming, Lord Byron was inducted as an Honour Swimmer into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1982 and, in 2015, was named as one of the Greatest Watermen in Open Water Swimming History by the World Open Water Swimming Association (ranked in 7th place). Lord Byron died fighting for Greek independence in 1824.

By Ria Bleathman, (Reproduced from the Brighton Iceberger Newsletter 16 Feb 2023).

Further Links: https://plinius-homes.com/en/article/lord-byron

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