Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Canoe Guide - River Great Ouse
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Canoe Tours in England: River Great Ouse
I have not canoed this route.
The River Great Ouse flows from Bedford to reach the Wash at its SE corner. It is canalised as far as the sea-
lock south of Downham Market where the river becomes tidal
Start: Launch from the car park off the A418/A600 roundabout on the SE outskirts of Bedford.
Finish: Either finish at Denver Sluice at the tidal limit of the river or finish at King’s Lynn.
Portages: There are 17 locks to portage, mostly in the section from Bedford to Earith
Distance: 84.8 miles (136 km)
Difficulty: Easy
Permits: Permits are required from the Environment Agency.
The route:
Distances are in miles.
0 Bedford
7.3 Great Barford Lock
15.0 St. Neots
25.1 Huntingdon
30.8 St. Ives Bridge
38.0 Earith: From Earith the old course of the river Great Ouse is followed. The main drainage is now
down the man-made New Bedford River (Hundred Foot Drain.)
52.9 Ely
58.9 Littleport
69.1 Denver Sluice: Cross the drainage canal to the river. Below Denver Sluice the river is tidal
70.1 Downham Bridge
82.8 King’s Lynn
84.8 The Wash
Information:
Environment Agency
Sapphire East
550 Streesbrook Road
Solihull
West Midlands B91 1QT
Tel: 0121-711-2324
Navigations in the Anglian Region published by the Environment Agency details the route.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Canoe Touring: 100 paddles in England published by the British Canoe Union (BCU). This book describes the route
from Bedford to St. Ives.
Inland Waterways of Great Britain: ISBN 085-288-355-2
I have not canoed this route.
The River Great Ouse flows from Bedford to reach the Wash at its SE corner. It is canalised as far as the sea-
lock south of Downham Market where the river becomes tidal
Start: Launch from the car park off the A418/A600 roundabout on the SE outskirts of Bedford.
Finish: Either finish at Denver Sluice at the tidal limit of the river or finish at King’s Lynn.
Portages: There are 17 locks to portage, mostly in the section from Bedford to Earith
Distance: 84.8 miles (136 km)
Difficulty: Easy
Permits: Permits are required from the Environment Agency.
The route:
Distances are in miles.
0 Bedford
7.3 Great Barford Lock
15.0 St. Neots
25.1 Huntingdon
30.8 St. Ives Bridge
38.0 Earith: From Earith the old course of the river Great Ouse is followed. The main drainage is now
down the man-made New Bedford River (Hundred Foot Drain.)
52.9 Ely
58.9 Littleport
69.1 Denver Sluice: Cross the drainage canal to the river. Below Denver Sluice the river is tidal
70.1 Downham Bridge
82.8 King’s Lynn
84.8 The Wash
Information:
Environment Agency
Sapphire East
550 Streesbrook Road
Solihull
West Midlands B91 1QT
Tel: 0121-711-2324
Navigations in the Anglian Region published by the Environment Agency details the route.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Canoe Touring: 100 paddles in England published by the British Canoe Union (BCU). This book describes the route
from Bedford to St. Ives.
Inland Waterways of Great Britain: ISBN 085-288-355-2