Swimming lessons for babies begin on the farm at Market Weighton

Dotty Rook, aged two, pictured under the water with her mother Lucy at Weighton Wold Farm in Market Weighton. Pictures by Simon Hulme.

Lucy Rook, 30, and farming husband Edward, 33, moved into the farmhouse at Weighton Wold Farm in Market Weighton nearly two years ago with their son Alfred, now aged three, and daughter Dotty, two.

With the nearest swimming pools located miles away in York and Hull, the couple decided to extensively renovate a dilapidated pool in the farmyard after being approached by the Water Babies group, and they seem to have hit upon huge local demand.

The first Water Babies swimming lessons are due to take place today.

Lucy and Edward Rook pictured with their children Alfred and Dotty.

Mrs Rook said: “A previous owner had the pool built and it was a black, mouldy pit when we moved here. You can spend a fortune travelling to take the kids to the nearest pool and we just thought, why don’t we use what we have got here? I knew there was a demand for it.

“We launched on Facebook and all the classes are full and have waiting lists. I can’t believe how it’s taken off.”

Work on the indoor pool started almost a year ago. It is 1.2m deep and the water is kept at 32 degrees so that it is suitable for babies from birth. Classes are open to children aged from three months to four years.