← Athletes

Haydn Taylor

Athlete IDATH-1050710
ENGEnglandSport:Swimming

Biography

Haydn Taylor (1897–1962) was a dentist from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. He swam the Humber in 1932. A newspaper cutting in the Dover archive shows him with teammate Eddie Stockwood and coach Mr McNally.

On 22 August 1935 Taylor set out from Cap Gris-Nez at 01:35. Swimming crawl, he crossed to the cliffs west of Dover on his first attempt. Stockwood accompanied him over the final stretch. The Channel Swimming Association lists 14 hours 38 minutes. Dover’s account places his landing ten minutes later than the federation register does.

The recorded nationality is England.

Haydn Taylor's published record includes performances in 1935 in Open-water swimming — English Channel solo. Selected recorded events include English Channel solo (1935; source checked).

English Channel record

A Cleethorpes dentist crossed on his first attempt in 1935. The registers and Dover’s swim log disagree by ten minutes.

Crossing details, recordings & verification
Home town
Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire
Sporting nationality
England

Selected Channel swims

Cap Gris-Nez to the Dover coast, 22 August 1935

Route · France to England, solo. The dated archive log names Lydden Spout. Its reproduced newspaper report describes the landing as Abbot’s Cliff.

Registered time · 14 hours 38 minutes. The CS&PF historical record attributes ratification to the CSA.

Clocks · Both accounts give 01:35 for departure. The CS&PF record gives 16:13 at the finish. The Dover log gives 16:23 and 14 hours 48 minutes. Neither source specifies a time standard.

Escort · Dover’s swim log names E. Stone as pilot of Ocean King and J. Brockman as observer. It lists G. Obree, V. M. Whorlow and T. Brockman as crew.

Other events & swims

Humber swim, 1932

Archival account · Channel Swimming Dover credits Taylor with the first crossing by a man. A cutting catalogued on 16 August shows Taylor with Stockwood and McNally. The precise swim date, course and elapsed time remain unconfirmed.

English Channel questions

How long did Haydn Taylor take to swim the English Channel?
The CSA lists 14 hours 38 minutes. The Dover log gives 14 hours 48 minutes.
Where did Haydn Taylor land?
The Dover log names Lydden Spout, on the English coast between Dover and Folkestone.
Who piloted Taylor’s Channel swim?
The Dover archive names E. Stone on Ocean King.

Achievements & next milestones

Achievements update from recorded results. A tick means the supporting results are verified.

Achieved

  • First recorded finish

    Based on 1 distinct completed events in your linked record.

    Verified
  • Raced in 1 calendar year

    At least one recorded finish in each year; this does not imply an uninterrupted streak.

    • 1935

    Each year counts once. A tick means at least one result from that year is verified.

    Verified

Next milestones

  • 5 finishes

    4 more finishes needed

    1 of 5 recorded

  • 2 different sports

    1 more different sport needed

    1 of 2 recorded

  • 2 calendar years with a finish

    1 more calendar year with a finish needed

    1 of 2 recorded

Career highlights

Haydn Taylor's published record includes performances in 1935 in Open-water swimming — English Channel solo.

Selected events from this athlete’s recorded career. Verification is shown for each record.

  • English Channel solo

    1935 · Open-water swimming — English Channel solo

    Performance: 14h 38m

    Source checked

Latest results

Showing 2 of 2 recorded performances.

Athlete results history
Race dateRace nameSportDistance / disciplineLocationPerformancePlaceCategory
Thu, 22 Aug 1935Completed event · Finisher · English Channel soloSwimmingOpen-water swimming — English Channel soloCap Gris-Nez to the Dover coast—14h 38mVerifiedTime recorded to minutes · Timing unknown——
1932 (year only)Humber swimSwimmingOpen-water swimming — Humber swimHumber estuary—Swam the HumberUnverified——

View the full athlete profile

Log in or create a free account to see the full results history, achievements and profile details.

Confirm ownership through the claim process before editing a profile.