Flatwater trip ideas

This page lists suggestions and resources for flatwater trips. Members of the club are likely to have some of the offline resources mentioned - please ask on the forums.

General resources for flat water trips

• Pub Paddles is a great resource for planning flatwater trips in the south of England, though the trips are quite short.
• BCU 100 Paddles book is an old book now, but is online and can help with ideas for trips.
• Canoe England Canoe Trails
• http://www.canoedaysout.com/ has lots of good recommendations
• http://www.canoetrips.co.uk/ looks to be a lovely site with lots of well photographed and described trips

Suggested paddles

The Thames

Non-tidal Thames including backwaters: St Patrick's stream, The Loddon

• the non-tidal Thames offers many paddling opertunites and trips. Using the various backwaters you can make looping trips
• the club had a trip there in 2009, and again in 2010 and 2011
• We've hired boats from Thames Canoes for a few trips on the Thames between Henley and Marlow
• Canoe focus covers part of the same area: [1]
• Marsport appears to hire out Canoes for the day: [2]
• The Oxford Circuit is another great paddle with an easy get on. Also includes options of exploring some backwaters.

Upper reaches of the Tidal Thames

• good put in at Kew Bridge (ramp + parking + old skool caff)
• tidal, so needs planning
• lots of potential stops down stream
• central London traffic can slow down journey to and from put in.
• upstream towards Richmond is a nice simple paddle with a little tidal flow

Local Navigations

Lee and Stort Navigations

The Lee and Stort offers easy flat water paddles - some are pretty, some are a little grim. Griff Rhys Jones' book & TV series 'Rivers' has a chapter/episode on the Lee Navigation and tells its history.

Starting at Limehouse Basin (The Limehouse loop)

• Local to the club. You can walk boats over in about 10-15 minutes.
• Paddle a loop though the navigation and the river, with lunch in Victoria Park
• The Limehouse Cut water can be a bit dirty and smelly.
• A hire option is MooCanoes

Hire boats on the Lee at Broxbourne

• Lee Valley Canoe Hire are situated in Edmonton, (a little north of Lee Valley WW Centre)
• Connected to public transport, on a train from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale.
• offers a prettier area of the Lee Valley, outside the M25. There are backwaters that can be explored offering a nice loop back to the hire centre as well as a number of riverside pubs.

Hire boats on the Stort

• Whoosh Explore are situated in Bishops Stortford.
• Connected to public transport, on a train from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale.
• A pretty paddle, that runs along side a train-line allowing one way trips with the hire company picking up the boats.

Hertford and the Lea North of Enfield

• Pretty section of the Navigation, beautiful scenery with lots of options for trips
• Looping trips are possible using the river and the canal, starting at Hertford, parking and putting in near the leisure centre.
• A couple of 'canoe safe' weirs may require helmets
• Trips blogs from Hertford in 2011 and 2012

General Resources

• lots of maps/leaflets of the navigation available
• Lee and Stort Navigations map covers the whole area (and includes parking and pubs): ISBN 0-86351-131-7

River Wey and Godalming Navigations.

• fairly short flatwater paddles
• canoes can be hired: http://www.farncombeboats.co.uk/rowing.htm

Resources:

• National trust has book/map of the navigations (only sold at the site - no ISBN)
• http://weyriver.co.uk/theriver/wey_nav_1.htm (and a map)
• Nicholson Guide ISBN 0-7028-3302-9

Basingstoke Canal

• Trip in 2009: http://towerhamletscanoeclub.co.uk/wiki/Basingstoke_Canal,_14th_November_2009

Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation

• you can hire canoes to paddle on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation: http://www.papermilllock.co.uk/canoe.htm

The River Medway

• Well known and paddled canoe trail, it offers a growing number of canoe passes around the locks that allow some fun paddling and playing.
• Kent Canoes hires boats on The Medway
• There's loads of information about the Medway online. Get Googling.
• Trip blogs: A day from Tonbridge to Yalding in 2013 and 2011. To and from Yalding in 2012 and a weekend trip from Tonbridge to Maidstone in 2010

Norfolk and Suffolk Broads

• a map : http://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.co.uk/media/img/common/area_map.jpg
• offers many opportunities for flatwater paddling
• many places to hire canoes
• can be busy with other watercraft

River Waveney

• leads to Oulton Broad, giving a trip with different areas to paddle in
• the club had a trip here in 2009
• mildly tidal and more than a little windy, its a beautiful and remote area
• Waveney River Centre offers camping and other accommodation, and good put ins (and might have a few canoes to hire)

River Stour

• A favourite paddle of many, offering some simple run-able weirs and a camp site halfway along
• The rive runs away from towns and roads for a lot of its length.
• well supported canoe trail with managed portages and passes being improved.

Rivers Ant and Bure

• you can pass through different waters such as Barton Broad
• The Canoe Man will hire out canoes and a few kayaks and recommend wetsuit friendly B & Bs (he'll also drop you off at the starting point)