Flatwater trip ideas

This page lists suggestions and resources for flatwater and gentle moving water trips, mostly in the south east of the UK.

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

The non-tidal Thames offers many paddling opertunites and trips. Using the various backwaters you can make looping trips. It can be a beast when the river is in flood, its always worth checking the conditions

St Patrick's Stream, The Loddon and Hennerton backwaters

A favourite trip of the club, paddling from Wargrave, we get to paddle a figure of 8, using the backwaters of the Thames.

• Trip blogs: We've paddled there most years, and there are great blogs from 2012, 2010 and 2009.

The Thames at Oxford and the Oxford Circuit

The Thames at Oxford offers easy parting and access at a couple of locations. The Oxford Circuit is great paddle with an easy get on that allows you to loop down the Thames and back up the Oxford canal. There are also some great backwaters in the area that can be explored and looping trip created.

• Trip blogs: A small group explored the backwaters in 2011

Other areas

• We've hired boats from Thames Canoes for a few trips on the Thames between Henley and Marlow
• Marsport appears to hire out Canoes for the day: [1]
• Trip blogs: We hired boats and padded from Henley to Marlow in 2010

Upper reaches of the Tidal Thames

Putting in at Kew Bridge (good parking if you ar early and easy access to the water), its possible paddle with the tide either up or downstream. There are lots of potential stops either way. Its a tidal river, so needs planning, and central London traffic can slow down journey to and from the river, but its well worth it to paddle one of the quieter sections of the tidal Thames

• Trip blogs: We had a great trip way back in 2009

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)

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)

River Stour

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

• Environment Agency guide
• An excellent canoeist written guide

River Wye

It's not in the south east but a wonderful river for trips, offering some beautiful touring as well as a few simple grade 2 rapids.

• There is a well written guide to the river that lays out many of the camp sites and access points.