Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Canoe guide - River Trent
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Canoe Tours in England: River Trent
I have not canoed this route.
The River Trent flows through a constantly changing landscape with rural, urban and industrial sections. In the
upper parts the Trent and Mersey Canal goes parallel to the Trent and lower down the canal and river often
coincide. Below Cromwell Lock the river becomes tidal. The water level is maintained by weirs which often need
portaging and once the canalised section is reached there are a few locks to portage.
Start: Stone
Finish: Dunham Toll Bridge
Alternative start: It is possible to start at Trentham but there are many small weirs, low pipe bridges and barbed
wire.
Alternative Finish: Most canoeists end there tour at the tidal limit at Cromwell Lock.
Route extension: The route could be extended further down the tidal river.
Distance: 107 miles (171 km)
Difficulty: Medium. There are easy rapids.
Portages: There are weirs and locks to portage.
Transport: There are trains linking Newark and Stone.
Permits: A British Waterways Licence is required for the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Maps: There are no special canoe maps but other good maps are available.
Route:
Distances are in miles from Stone.
0 New Walton Bridge, Stone: A520 Launch into River Trent at Stone Canoe Club slalom site 50 yards
downstream
5.6 Weston Bridge
9.4 Canal Aqueduct over river
10.0 One foot weir
10.1 Essex Bridge, Great Heywood
14.4 Canal Aqueduct over river
15.4 Rugeley Bridge
18.6 Armitage Bridge
20.4 Netherton Island: The river divides here.The left arm provides the most flow and is easier but the right
hand arm is more interesting, but has a weir which may need to be portaged.
22.6 Channels rejoin
26.7 River Swarbourn joins
27.1 Trent and Mersey Canal joins from the right and leaves on the left after 100m. The River flows over a weir
which should be portaged on the right.
28 Wychnor Bridge
28.3 Swinfen Canoe Club slalom site
29 River Tame joins
31.3 Walton Bridge
33.9 Pass left of island
36.7 St. Peter’s Bridge: The limit of Upper Trent Navigation. The river breaks into a series of streams which
cross the floodplain. Immediately after the bridge the river splits into two. The left branch is canoeable.
37.4 The river divides round a large island. Both channels are canoe able, but both have weirs and the weir on
the left channel is probably easier to portage (on the left)
39.2 River Dove joins.
48.6 Swarkestone Bridge: The next 8 miles has numerous small rapids.
55.1 A50 bridge57.3 Shardlow Marina
57.2 Cavendish Bridge
57.4 “Derwentmouth”: From here the Trent and Mersey Canal follows the river except for short cuts.
57.9 Sawley cut right or weir left: The weir is said to be shoot able, but this is not to be recommended, but it can
be portaged on either side (better left?). The Sawley cut route has 2 locks
59.7 Trentlock: Lock cut route or original river route. On the original river route you will need to portage
Thrumpton Weir. (right easier?). There is a lock on the lock cut route.
65.9 Beeston Lock: Beeston Canal route or river route. To enter the river route you need to portage the weir
on the right at low water or by the lock at high water. The canal route passes through the centre of Nottingham and
has three locks.
68.9 River and canal routes rejoin.
70.6 Holme Locks and weir. Take canoe out on right and relaunch at jetty 200m down the river.
73.4 Stoke Lock and weir. The weir is said to be shootable, but there have been fatalities. Rather you than me!
It is probably easier to take the canoe out 200m upstream on the left to portage. (Alternatively on the right.)
77.6 Gunthorpe Bridge
78 Gunthorpe Weir and lock. Land on the right for portage.
83.9 River divides. The Lock route is on the left but canoiests would be better taking the right route where
there is an easy portage on the right round the weir.
89.5 Averham Weir. The canal cut goes right through Newark and the river route goes over the weir. Portage
the weir on the right. There are two locks on the canal route.
93 River and canal rejoin
97.1 Cromwell Lock and Weir. Portage on left. This is the tidal limit.
107.1 Dunham Toll Bridge A57
Information:
British Waterways:
British Waterways Customer Service Centre
Willow Grange
Church Road
Watford, WD17 4QA
01923-201120
Enquiries.hq@britishwaterways.co.uk
British Canoe Union
18 Market Place
Bingham
Nottingham NG13 8AP
Tel: 0845-370-9500
http://www.bcu.org.uk
BCU guidebooks: Canoe Touring: 100 Paddles in England
Route description:
http://www.igreens.org.uk
Guide to the Waterways Vol 6: Nottingham, York and the North East published by Nicholson
I have not canoed this route.
The River Trent flows through a constantly changing landscape with rural, urban and industrial sections. In the
upper parts the Trent and Mersey Canal goes parallel to the Trent and lower down the canal and river often
coincide. Below Cromwell Lock the river becomes tidal. The water level is maintained by weirs which often need
portaging and once the canalised section is reached there are a few locks to portage.
Start: Stone
Finish: Dunham Toll Bridge
Alternative start: It is possible to start at Trentham but there are many small weirs, low pipe bridges and barbed
wire.
Alternative Finish: Most canoeists end there tour at the tidal limit at Cromwell Lock.
Route extension: The route could be extended further down the tidal river.
Distance: 107 miles (171 km)
Difficulty: Medium. There are easy rapids.
Portages: There are weirs and locks to portage.
Transport: There are trains linking Newark and Stone.
Permits: A British Waterways Licence is required for the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Maps: There are no special canoe maps but other good maps are available.
Route:
Distances are in miles from Stone.
0 New Walton Bridge, Stone: A520 Launch into River Trent at Stone Canoe Club slalom site 50 yards
downstream
5.6 Weston Bridge
9.4 Canal Aqueduct over river
10.0 One foot weir
10.1 Essex Bridge, Great Heywood
14.4 Canal Aqueduct over river
15.4 Rugeley Bridge
18.6 Armitage Bridge
20.4 Netherton Island: The river divides here.The left arm provides the most flow and is easier but the right
hand arm is more interesting, but has a weir which may need to be portaged.
22.6 Channels rejoin
26.7 River Swarbourn joins
27.1 Trent and Mersey Canal joins from the right and leaves on the left after 100m. The River flows over a weir
which should be portaged on the right.
28 Wychnor Bridge
28.3 Swinfen Canoe Club slalom site
29 River Tame joins
31.3 Walton Bridge
33.9 Pass left of island
36.7 St. Peter’s Bridge: The limit of Upper Trent Navigation. The river breaks into a series of streams which
cross the floodplain. Immediately after the bridge the river splits into two. The left branch is canoeable.
37.4 The river divides round a large island. Both channels are canoe able, but both have weirs and the weir on
the left channel is probably easier to portage (on the left)
39.2 River Dove joins.
48.6 Swarkestone Bridge: The next 8 miles has numerous small rapids.
55.1 A50 bridge57.3 Shardlow Marina
57.2 Cavendish Bridge
57.4 “Derwentmouth”: From here the Trent and Mersey Canal follows the river except for short cuts.
57.9 Sawley cut right or weir left: The weir is said to be shoot able, but this is not to be recommended, but it can
be portaged on either side (better left?). The Sawley cut route has 2 locks
59.7 Trentlock: Lock cut route or original river route. On the original river route you will need to portage
Thrumpton Weir. (right easier?). There is a lock on the lock cut route.
65.9 Beeston Lock: Beeston Canal route or river route. To enter the river route you need to portage the weir
on the right at low water or by the lock at high water. The canal route passes through the centre of Nottingham and
has three locks.
68.9 River and canal routes rejoin.
70.6 Holme Locks and weir. Take canoe out on right and relaunch at jetty 200m down the river.
73.4 Stoke Lock and weir. The weir is said to be shootable, but there have been fatalities. Rather you than me!
It is probably easier to take the canoe out 200m upstream on the left to portage. (Alternatively on the right.)
77.6 Gunthorpe Bridge
78 Gunthorpe Weir and lock. Land on the right for portage.
83.9 River divides. The Lock route is on the left but canoiests would be better taking the right route where
there is an easy portage on the right round the weir.
89.5 Averham Weir. The canal cut goes right through Newark and the river route goes over the weir. Portage
the weir on the right. There are two locks on the canal route.
93 River and canal rejoin
97.1 Cromwell Lock and Weir. Portage on left. This is the tidal limit.
107.1 Dunham Toll Bridge A57
Information:
British Waterways:
British Waterways Customer Service Centre
Willow Grange
Church Road
Watford, WD17 4QA
01923-201120
Enquiries.hq@britishwaterways.co.uk
British Canoe Union
18 Market Place
Bingham
Nottingham NG13 8AP
Tel: 0845-370-9500
http://www.bcu.org.uk
BCU guidebooks: Canoe Touring: 100 Paddles in England
Route description:
http://www.igreens.org.uk
Guide to the Waterways Vol 6: Nottingham, York and the North East published by Nicholson