Flatwater trip ideas
This page lists suggestions and resources for flatwater and gentle moving water trips, mostly in the south east of the UK. We have a separate guide for local tidal waters.
Contents
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.
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
The Lee and Stort Navigations offer 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. There are 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
Paddling from Limehouse Basin (The Limehouse loop)
A paddle that is local to the club. You can walk boats over in about 10-15 minutes if you have strong sholders. You can then paddle a loop though the navigation and the river, with lunch in Victoria Park. Its an urban paddle and the water in the Limehouse Cut can be a bit dirty and smelly.
- A hire option is MooCanoes
Hire boats on the Lee at Broxbourne
This paddler 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. Its connected to public transport, on a train from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale.
- Lee Valley Canoe Hire are situated in Edmonton, (a little north of Lee Valley WW Centre)
Hire boats on the Stort
A pretty paddle, that runs along side a train line means its well connected to public transport, on a train from Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale. It also allows one way trips - shuttling back on the train or having the hire company pick up boats.
- Whoosh Explore are situated in Bishops Stortford.
Hertford and the Lea North of Enfield
A lovely section of the Navigation, with 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. Note that this section has a couple of generally canoe safe weirs, but may require helmets.
River Wey is a nice bit of water. It links to the Thames from the south.
- canoes can be hired: http://www.farncombeboats.co.uk/rowing.htm
Basingstoke Canal
A fairly urban canal but has wooded sections and easy access.
- Trip blogs: We paddled here when the Wey was flooding and we had to re-plan a trip.
- 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
The Broads offers many opportunities for flatwater paddling, and many places to hire canoes, though sections can be windy or busy with other watercraft.
River Waveney
The lower parts of the Waveney are mildly tidal and more than a little windy, its a beautiful and remote area. its never runs dry which makes planning a doddle. A branch leads to Oulton Broad, offering a trip with different types of water to paddle in. The Waveney River Centre offers camping and other accommodation, and good put-ins (and might have a few canoes to hire).
- Trip blogs: the club has had great trips here in 2011 (Song of the Paddle blog) , 2012 and 2009
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.
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.
