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Hello friends - we do an annual weekend camping trip with all the inlaws, and last year we stayed on a site near Glasbury and spent a few hours in hire canoes, which was a tremendous success. I'm not against going back to the same place but wondered if there were any other good rivers for inept paddlers with;
- Canoe and kit hire on very unchallenging water
- Decent campsite, ideally allowing campfires (will keep scout master FiL and nephews happy, and everyone else warm!)
- Not too far from the Midlands
What about Coniston? Campsite within walking distance of town and canoe, paddle board, sit on top hire. Steam Gondala on the lake and lots of close cycling. Don't know about fires on the campsite.
Sorry - the best paddling on open boats is North and further North...
Glenridding Sailing School - a really stunning part of the Lakes to explore by water.
Loch Ken Watersports - a lovely loch to explore, they usually let folk down to first big island.
Killin Outdoor Shop - down to Loch Tay Islands is a lovely trip, and sandy beaches await and a BBQ is mandatory.
Loch Morlich watersports - what a place on a nice sunny day.
Can I also recommend a proper trip - a guided tour down the Spey is a proper 'lifetime special' trip. Beyond Adventure specialise in such trips.
Coniston is lovely for a paddle. We took our own kayaks a few years back.
Bala is another possibility, we stayed at Pen-Y-Bont touring park a couple of years ago just by the lake. Great views over the lake. Easy walk into Bala where there's kayak hire. Family friendly and you could get meat delivered from the excellent local butcher by ordering at reception in the morning. 🙂
And warning, it's addictive!
Yeah, Bala's an easy one (and you can go rafting nearby at the white water centre).
Windermere - Low Wray campsite, think they had kayak hire years back but might not any more. Coniston's just over the top too.
If it's summertime - Llyn Gwynant is a great campsite, they do kayak hire on site and you're in the big mountains too and not too far from the beaches of Anglesey should the fancy take you.
Not sure about the current (no pun intended) hire situation (a) since Covid and (b) whe we had a family outing we took our own, but a day or two down the river Wye is awfully nice in an open canoe.
What ever though I highly recommend a buoyancy aid as a minimum. The water is still pretty cold when you fall in whatever the time of year.
Depends where you are in the Midlands but there's Mytchett Canal Centre near Farnborough that has a campsite and canoe hire. You could also pop into Swinley Forest and checkout the trails there as well.
https://www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/countryparks/basingstokecanal/canalcentre
You could also visit other sections of the Wye. Like you, I've hired canoes at Glasbury and also at Hay-on-wye. I'm aware that canoe hire is available near Lydbrook and at Monmouth and Symonds Yat. I assume there will be someone in Hereford, and wouldn't be surprised if they're available in Ross. The outfit you hired from in Glasbury may be willing to take you to alternative launch and take-out sites.
I'll also add Waterside House campsite on Ullswater to the Lake District list, although I don't recall them allowing open fires.