A landowner has issued a stark warning after witnessing multiple dangerous incidents at Warleigh Weir near Bath, one of England’s most popular wild swimming spots. “It’s only a matter of time before somebody dies,” he said, urging urgent safety measures around the hazardous railway crossing.
Warleigh Weir attracts tens of thousands every summer to swim in the River Avon. However, access is only possible via a public footpath that crosses an active stretch of the Great Western Main Line, where trains travel at speeds up to 90mph. There are no barriers or bridges, and many visitors ignore flashing signals warning of oncoming trains.
Johnny Palmer, entrepreneur and activist who owns the adjacent island at Claverton, has formally demanded action from Bath & North East Somerset Council, Network Rail, and local highway authorities. In June 2026 alone, Palmer received three eyewitness reports of dangerous behavior on the railway.
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On June 14, a regular visitor had to physically intervene to stop a family taking photos on the train tracks. “At 70mph, trains can’t stop in time. It’s not if but when someone gets hurt,” said the witness. Days later, another visitor saw two groups using the tracks for selfies, with one group venturing beyond monitored areas. Palmer reports, “I have watched people lie down on a 90mph mainline railway for selfies. The next person may not get up.”
Perhaps most alarming was an incident on June 20 when a family dropped several shopping bags onto the tracks without noticing, requiring a bystander to retrieve them seconds before a train passed. Palmer warns, “We got lucky this time. Next time, there could be derailment or fatality.”
This is not a new issue. Network Rail recorded five near-misses at this crossing within five weeks in summer 2017, yet Palmer says little has changed. “How many near-misses does it take before something is done?”
Beyond the railway dangers, access routes are overwhelmed during peak seasons. Ferry Lane, a narrow single-track road lined with stone walls, experiences heavy traffic, resulting in near-misses and crashes. Pedestrians struggle to navigate safely, often trapped between cars and walls.
Crossing the adjacent A36 trunk road poses further risk, with visitors often seen crossing quickly carrying picnic bags and wearing unsuitable footwear. “It’s a fast road — a miracle no one has been killed,” Palmer says.
Reports of antisocial and violent behavior have also increased, prompting multiple police call-outs in one week.
In response, Palmer has urged the council to extinguish the public right of way across his land under the Highways Act 1980, citing Section 118A designed for footpaths crossing active railways where safety cannot be reasonably assured. He is working with Network Rail and intends to fund infrastructure improvements, including a managed access system requiring safety inductions for all visitors before crossing.
“The council’s position—that the footpath must stay open because it’s heavily used—misses the point entirely. It’s heavily used because of the lack of safe alternatives, and that’s why it needs to close,” Palmer stresses.
He warns of the tragic consequences if ignored. “If someone dies and authorities failed to act, everyone will know exactly who was warned and when.”
Palmer’s experience operating a wood-fired sauna on the island shows a positive model of responsible access. Sauna guests are pre-booked, safety-briefed, and engage with the environment respectfully, creating a calm, safe atmosphere vastly different from the chaotic day-visitors crowd.
“The sauna community respects the rules and leaves the place better than they found it. That should be the standard for everyone visiting Warleigh Weir,” he notes. “Wild swimming and sauna culture are growing wellness movements that align perfectly with this environment.”
While the sauna clientele set an example, the uncontrolled access and disregard for railway safety by day-trippers remain an urgent public safety crisis needing immediate intervention.