Canoeing in Northamptonshire
Jonathan Manning enjoys a paddle along the River Nene, where each meander reveals a new feast for the senses
Top sites for water sports
Do you take like a duck to water, or just looking for a new hobby to try? We’ve partnered with British Canoeing to bring you a selection of campsites where you can pitch up and go paddling within 30 minutes.
The majority of our campsites listed below welcome non-members and their families, so if you’re not yet a member, don’t panic! Book a site and try something new this summer.
If you don’t own a motorhome or caravan then some our campsites offer camping pitches, camping pods, yurts and glamping pods too. You can also check out our motorhome hire scheme with Experience Freedom. Whatever you choose, we’ll have a site for you.
Top places to pitch up and paddle
Coniston Park Coppice Caravan Club Site – Lake District
Caravans and motorhomes: 222 pitches
Camping: 10 pitches
Glamping: 14 units
Non-members welcome
Set in 63 acres of beautiful National Trust woodland, Coniston Park Coppice Club Site offers a peaceful base for an active holiday for the whole family. The fantastic bonus for those wanting to go paddling or try out a new water sport is the campsite’s close proximity to Coniston Water – just 400 yards away.
Coniston Park Coppice Club site also puts you within easy reach of the southern shores of Lake Windermere. You will be able to find many launch spots and trails by visiting British Canoeing’s PaddlePoints site.
Borrowdale Caravan Club Site – Lake District
Caravans and motorhomes: 59 pitches
Camping: 0 pitches
Glamping: 0 units
Non-members welcome
Borrowdale Caravan Club Site puts you within easy reach of Derwent Water. Once you are pitched up, it’s just a short drive to many launching points, the closest and most convenient being Kettlewell Car Park.
- Check out British Canoeing’s Derwent Water paddling trail.
White Water Park Caravan Club Site – County Durham
Caravans and motorhomes: 97 pitches
Camping: 0 pitches
Glamping: 0 units
Non-members welcome
White Water Park Club Site sits next to one of the largest white water canoeing and rafting courses built to an international standard in Britain. Our campsite provides easy access to all the centre’s facilities including a sheltered viewing balcony, drying and changing room, canoe storage area, shop and café.
The White Water Centre offers avid white water paddlers the perfect summer playground. Though, you don’t have to be a white water paddler to experience the hair raising real-life rapid course as the centre offers group rafting experiences too.
Despite the name, the White Water Park Caravan Club Site isn’t just for the thrill-seekers. If you prefer a calmer journey to soak up the landscapes, wildlife and heritage, you will have easy access from the White Water Park Caravan Club Site to the non-tidal section of the River Tees. From here you can easily paddle through picturesque meadows to the town of Yarm.
- Download the Tees Barrage to Yarm Paddle Trial on British Canoeing’s River Tees page.
Don’t forget - to access and paddle along this section of the River Tees, you’ll need a waterways licence. With a British Canoeing membership, you will be covered to access these waterways.
Norfolk Broads Caravan Club Site – East Anglia
Caravans and motorhomes: 111 pitches
Camping: 0 pitches
Glamping: 0 units
Members only
Norfolk Broads Club Site is an open and tranquil holiday destination set in the midst of the scenic Norfolk Broads. With the River Ant just 180 metres away, this campsite makes for the perfect place to pitch up and paddle to explore several of the popular Broads. These include the wooded marsh area known as Dilham Broad, as well as Barton Broad.
- Check out the routes and trails for the River Ant.
Don’t forget - to access and paddle the Broads you will require a waterways licence. With a British Canoeing membership, you will be covered to access these waterways.
Tewkesbury Abbey Caravan Club Site – Cotswolds
Caravans and motorhomes: 133 pitches
Camping: 0 pitches
Glamping: 0 units
Non-members welcome
Pitching up at Tewkesbury Abbey Caravan Club Site gives you the perfect base to experience the extraordinary riverside town of Tewkesbury, where the River Avon and River Severn join.
Once you’re pitched up and ready to paddle, you are only a short drive to where you can explore the beautiful old town and surrounding countryside.
- Download the Tewkesbury Round Trip Paddle Trial
- Check out the routes and trails for the River Avon (Warwickshire)
Don’t forget - to access and paddle this section of the River Severn and Avon you’ll need a waterways licence. With a British Canoeing membership, you will be covered to access these waterways.
Cambridge Cherry Hinton Caravan Club Site – East Anglia
Caravans and motorhomes: 56 pitches
Camping: 6 pitches
Glamping: 0 units
Non-members welcome
Set in ancient quarry works and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Cambridge Cherry Hinton Club Site feels like you’re in the heart of the countryside while only a 20-minute drive to where you’ll be able to access various launch points along the River Cam.
On the River Cam you’ll be able to paddle through ‘the backs’, a picturesque collection of historic colleges backing onto the River Cam and only viewable from the water - unless you happen to be a member of Cambridge University. ‘The backs’ is considered to be one of England’s best views.
Don’t forget - to paddle along the River Cam you’ll need a waterways licence. You might also like third party insurance cover in case you accidentally collide with one of the many punters you’ll encounter. A British Canoeing membership provides you with both a waterways licence for the River Cam and a third party cover. Please also make sure you display your membership number clearly on your craft for this stretch of river.
In partnership with British Canoeing
Don’t forget to paddle responsibly by making sure you have a waterways licence if required. A British Canoeing membership also provides you cover when you have to pay compensation to any third party for accidental damage so a great safety net to have for when you are manoeuvring your craft and equipment around a caravan site or whilst on the water. Find out more at www.britishcanoeing.org.uk
