Where shall I go kayaking next? Chile, Nepal, Canada maybe. These are some of the big boys in the paddling world. But have you ever thought about spending some time boating in the UK? Whilst the UK is not a traditional paddling mecca, it does have some amazing rivers and a hugely growing kayaking scene. Team GB’s kayakers and canoeists have won 4 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medal over the past 2 Olympic games, really bringing the sport to the light. That equals the 8 medals that Team GB had one in all pre-London 2012 Olympics. In London 2012 freestyle kayaking made its first appearance as a crowd-pleaser. The 2011 ICF K1 freestyle champion James Bebbington led the line- giving freestyle-kayaking mainstream attention. In the same time frame, my local canoe club grew by 600% in members. Kayaking and canoeing is no longer an alternative hobby in the UK. It has become a mainstream water sport only second in popularity to swimming.

So, it’s worth looking into the UK, the next question is which rivers? Well, this is where I am going to help you with a list of Classic white-water rivers in the UK. This is based on my 15 years’ experience paddling UK rivers. Unfortunately, I haven’t kayaked in Northern Ireland so I will be sticking to rivers in England, Scotland, and Wales. In this first article, we’ll look at the River in England. 

England

River access in England can be a long subject so I will try to keep it brief. Canoeists believe we have the right to paddle any navigable river as per the 1215 Magna Carta. Landowners and Fishermen think they own the water, therefore, paddlers need permission to be there. This has led to some altercations on and off the river. We used to have access agreements, but this was seen to favour the fisherman and landowners. British Canoeing access advise summarised is as follows; Paddle if there’s enough water to float (use Rain chasers / Where’s the Water), Don’t damage fish spawning beds (these are mostly in eddies and are damaged if you paddle in too low water), access using public footpaths, land or where you have permission, don’t get off the river onto private banks if possible and most importantly be discreet and polite- even if someone isn’t polite to you. Refer any aggressor to British Canoeing if they wish to complain.

South West

Think country accents and narrow roads. The south west though has some of the closest best natural rivers to London.

River Dart (Upper)

Class: 4 Time on water: 2-3 hours.

One of the best class 4’s I have run. Fairly continuous with some larger drops and features. At high water, it really starts to get exciting and eddy’s become sparse. This section finishes at the start to the Dart Loop, an immensely popular class 2/3 run.

East Lyn

Class: 4 Time on water: 2 hours.

A good low water option as it stays class 4.

River Tavy (Hillbridge to Tavistock)

Class: 3 Time on water: 2 hours

A great class 3, better in my opinion to the Dart Loop.

A video from the Upper Dart (Barny makes it look too easy):

London

Londoners can play too! If you want to find white water in a massive city, look to the UK’s second-longest river, the River Thames.

Hurley Weir

Class: 3-4 Time on water: N/A

Operates on 1-4 gates with 3 gates being the best. One of the UK’s favourite freestyle feature. It holds an annual competition the Hurley Classic which is often used as a selection event for Team GBs freestyle kayaking team.

Shepperton Weir

Class: 4 Time on water: N/A

I’ll never forget my first surf at Shepperton. The power of the wave was unreal and as I went for a spin found myself bouncing so hard it became a blunt! I can also remember the pour-over you get awfully close to getting on the wave; not one for the inexperienced or faint-hearted.

Lee Valley WW Centre 

Class: 2-4 Time on water: 1-hour slots

A legacy from London 2012. Lee Valley is a world-class facility with a class 2 and class 4 white watercourse. Combined with near drinking water quality and a boat escalator to get you to the top this place is unreal. It is a tad on the expensive side as you pay per hour, but you’ll surf more, eddy out more and battle in stoppers more than you’ve done before!

Midlands

Its’ saving grace, the UK’s 3rd longest river, the River Trent.

Newark Weir

Class: 4  Time on water: N/A

I think my longest surf on here was 15 minutes. It’s shallow so you can’t do anything ariel. But if like me you are a fan of endless soul surfs, spins and blunts this is the wave.

Trent Lock

Class: 4 Time on water: N/A

The Trent must be high to get this baby going but when it is, wow. What a wave. The UK’s very own Nile special?

Holme Pierrepont WW Centre

Class: 4 Time on water: N/A

Class 3. Like Lee Valley an artificial course. It may not have the glamour of Lee Valley and you walk your boat back up. But it runs year-round and is relatively cheap. The inlet wave is where most people, including myself, did their first loop.

North West

The North of England has the highest concentration of quality white water rivers in England. The majority being in the Lake District national park.

River Greta (Threlkeld to Keswick)

Class: 3 Time on water: 1 1/2 hours

Very much read and run class 3. The winter storms of 2015/16 reshaped the entire river so I can’t comment on its features anymore. However, the access is simple, and you can enjoy a lovely cuppa with cake in Keswick at the get out.

River Kent (Sprint Confluence to Force Falls)– 

Class: 4 Time on water: 1 hour

The class is slightly misleading as it only has 2 class 4 rapids of note. However, it is regarded as a Cumbrian classic. Lying just below Kendal if you time it towards the end of the November you can go to the Kendal Mountain Festival. 

Newlands Beck

Class: 3-4 Time on water: 1 hour

I was fortunate to live next to Newlands Beck so I may be a bit biased. But it’s a fast-action-packed ride with the hardest rapid near the put in. There are lots of trees and very few eddies so not for the intermediate. 

Stock Ghyll 

Class: 5 Time on water: 30 mins- 3 hours

I never managed to time Stock Ghyll right. Between work and water levels it did not work out for me. However, I still remember the psyche to paddle it. It finishes in Ambleside so you can enjoy a cuppa and cake at the get out. 

North East

The majority of these rivers are in the Yorkshire Dales national park which borders the Lake District.

River Tees

Class:  2- 4 Time on water: 2-3 hours

There are 3 well-paddled sections of the Tees. I know I have been naming the section of river but with the Tees, all 3 have merit. The higher section is the hardest and contains Low Force. Most kayakers or SUP(!) first 10ft drop with a lovely pool to pick up the pieces.

River Swale

Class: 4-5 Time on water: 1-3 hours

Very much the UK’s waterfall run. Water cascades off limestone edges leading to 5 significant drops- an absolute gem.

River Washburn

Class: 3 Time on water: N/A

The North Easts dry weather run. It’s dam released with the release dates on the British Canoeing website. A good river to practice catching micro eddies!

*Please bear in mind this list only just scrapes the surface. The UK has over 68,000km of inland waterways. The Rain chasers App (England and Wales) is a great resource with live river levels.

English Whitewater Guide Book (British Canoe Union Guidebook):

https://amzn.to/3cg78n8

The Welsh Rivers: The Complete Guidebook to Canoeing and Kayaking the Rivers of Wales:

https://amzn.to/3ep9EtO

Scottish White Water Paperback

https://amzn.to/3qFB6Gt

Other useful Links:

https://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/

Some links might be associated links. These links help support our Journal.