outdoors sites: places to paddle within about anhours drive of Brum.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

There's nothing like a picnic and a paddle on a lovely summer's day.

We quite often go to Tissington ford and stop in Ashbourne.

And I've heard that Bourton-on-the-water is nice but busy.

I wonder if anyone else has any suggestions?

TiA.

Obviously a prudish autocorrect of sites there.

[grr]

Ffs.

Shite.

Shite.

Shite.

Droitwich Spa has the Lido pool which is salt. Has a pretend beach, squirters etc. Pay once and stay all day.

(what autocorrect?)

Now wondering if this is an Oxo Tower thread and I've been dead naive and thick.

A little further and you can go to Chester and have a picnic at the water park on dee banks whilst the kids take the canoe out on the dee and paddle gleefully down to get an ice cream, then back (takes longer against the current).

The severn is good. You can pub hop too: pool quay to royal hill pub, then pub at montford bridge, then to shrewsbury and another couple of hours to the mytten and mermaid at atcham or through the rapids and down to bridgnorth.

Is there not paddling at edgbaston reservoir too?

Oh.... Are you on paddling as in ankle deep in a pool or paddling as in canoe/kayaking?
If the former, ignore me but you can swim in the river at the royal hill. It's quite popular!

Ooh edgbaston reservoir - will give that a go. Have started pirate canoe thread! Do you paddle the Avon at all?

I think there are a lot of access restrictions on the Avon. I've done the Avon descent which is from just above stratford to welford which was brilliant - not for complete beginners though and leamington canoe club runs an annual fundraiser for guide dogs, paddling from leamington, under the walls of warwick castle, through charlecote park and on to stratford. I've nor done it but its supposed to be great. takes place in May.

I think bits of the leam round leamington are accessible too. Certainly leam boat centre use the river through the jephson gardens and upstream from there and leamington canoe club's annual race uses the stretch from the confluence with the Avon to the club in town, portaging the weir at princess drive. Not sure if they have special permission for it though.

Bits of the Trent are used for racing too and might have access agreements.

If you're a member of the bcu then you have a license to paddle on canals too and there are some lovely stretches in the midlands. the caldon canal in staffs is lovely; nice pub on the way and a steam railway runs alongside the canal. The bit near froghall wharf is nicest I think. The river runs next to the canal so if you're competent on moving water you can cut through the overflow and paddle back on the river to froghall.

What kind of paddling do you normally do and what kind of boat do you have?

Wow go lemmings that's fascinating. I used to canoe on the Avon around learning ton and Stratford a lot when I was in 6th form. It was our summer sport of choice. Now I generally do as bit of sea kayaking and just locally on the river.
I'd like to do a course on sea kayaking, so that I can learn more about reading the maps and currrents iyswim. We just go where we are safe and check in with the local coastguard.

Hi, we've moved this into The Great Outdoors.