A potter from Hurley to Boulters Lock

Start: Hurley, near Midenhead, Berkshire.
Distance: Approx 9 miles one way.


View Hurley to Boulters Lock in a larger map

We left a car at Boulters lock, then drove to Hurley with the kayaks and kit. Its a pleasant potter down the river. Locks and weirs to enjoy. Try to find Lulle Brook and the bypass stream near Cookham for an entertaining little flume ride .

On the way we went down Hurley weir, that had very little water in it

And we messed about a bit too.



More pictures on my Hurley to Boulters Lock photo page.

Jubilee River no portage around Taplow Weir

Dave at the put-in at Boulter's Lock. £1 for the car park across the road. Plan was to enter the north end of the Jubilee River and paddle down it.








After a pleasant potter you come to this concrete walled section above Taplow Weir. You can climb out on the ladders on the left to a nice path.








But that doesn't help you because you are inside these high barbed wire gates. In the nearby woods there is a broken section of fence you might be able to crawl through if you move the barbed wire first.

On the right bank you end up inside the paper mill and inside gates and fences. The security guard will politely direct you back to the river you came from.




To paddle the river, park at the Mill Lane car park by the bridge, then access the river easily enough to the south. Here's the google maps view with annotations of the key points.

View Jubilee River at Taplow Weir in a larger map

A stroll from Saunton to Putsborough

Well there was no surf, and it was too windy and rough for novice sea-kayaking alone, so the only thing left is walking, which is not at all unpleasant on North Devon's Heritage Coast.


View A stroll fron Saunton to Puts in a larger map

Messing about on the canal

Start: Coy Carp Public House, Harefield, Middx,
Grid Ref: TQ 039 911
Map here.

Head south a random distance and come back. Total distance 2.8 miles. It was Pete's idea to take Gerard to get him wet.

They also wanted the opportunity to take the piss out of my sit-on-top kayak, which isnt a real kayak, apparently.


As the picture shows, man-love is still possible in a sit on top kayak. And you can rescue playboats with them when they sink.




And then someone nicked his his boat. Luckily there's room for two on the super floater.

A potter on the Thames - Marlow to Medmenham

Start: Marlow Court garden Leisure Centre. Grid Ref SU 847 858.
Distance: 8km return
View map here.

There's a car park there, though it'll be rammed on a sunny Sunday afternoon in summer. I got a "sneak spot".

250 yard portage across the park to the river bank.

Then head upstream almost to Medmenham and back, shooting the locks since there was other traffic and its more fun than carrying around them.

Lovely coming back down in the early evening..all the traffic had evaporated and I had the river to myself.

Upstream time 2x downstream time at summer flow rates.

Fatboy finally floats his goat boat.

This is the kayak -- a perception scooter -- after her maiden voyage at Seven Sisters Country Park grid ref TV 517 987.

Pleasant paddle in easy waters. Beware the entry to the sea though - strong tidal current up or down the river that you won't paddle against. However, its only a short distance and easy to portage because there are footpaths on the west bank.






Park at the country park - there are two car parks, take the one on the right if you are coming from Seaford. Costs £3.50 in 2009.

Launch from the slipway, not the river bank.

Head down the meanders until the no boating sign, then portage across the bank and seal launch into the cut.

The tidal current is quite strong - I had to wade towards the sea, and couldnt get into Cuckmere Haven by paddling because the tide tears into the narrow channel. Best to time it to enter the sea down the tide, and come back up the river on the flood tide - assuming the sea conditions are safe for that.

On the way back, paddle up the cut to the road bridge, exit up the wooden steps on your right and drop into the meanders and easily back to your car.

Next time...with calm seas, paddle down the tide into the haven and along the foot of the best chalk cliffs in northern Europe, then back up the river on the rising tide.

Hospital Mix 7

Now I am baffled. The album comes from Hospital Records with both the individual tracks and a continuous "dj" mix of all the tracks on the album.

Except the continuous mix has a different track order, and a whole host of tracks that weren't given individually.

Strange, but I'll take it, especially as it was only a fiver.

Croyde Report 25th April

Legged it down on the Thursday night. Managed to finish work by 3:30pm on Friday and headed to Puts. Head high and clean, but hard work in F2 offshores. Scored some classics though, dropping right in down the shoulder.

Saturday was a howling offshore for the Wooly vs Bristol comp. (See picture) Luckily they needed someone to hold the timing board so I was spared getting wet in impossible conditions.


Sunday afternoon at Croyde was perfection itself. Big enough, fast enough, but not too big and not too fast. Very quiet, hardly anyone out, which always helps. Scored half a dozen perfect waves, sliding right into the bowl, and all on the long board. Sweet Sweet Sweet.

Credit to Rob for the picture.