Post-Lockdown Paddling

Local Lockdown Inspiration.

We’re 5 weeks into lockdown now, and whilst it’s important to follow government advice, there’s nothing to stop us planning what we’re going to get up to once restrictions are lifted. Provided you follow social distancing precautions, paddling is a great way to get outdoors and remain isolated. We aren’t sure when international travel is going to be back on the cards, so this week we are giving you our 5 books to help you plan your next mini-adventure.

1) Pub Paddles, Peter Knowles

This fantastic book features 27 short paddles in the south east of England, and all of them feature a stop in a pub! We might be slightly biased as our very own stretch of the Thames is the first journey in the book, but this is a must have for anyone who wants to start planning their own adventures, there is a wealth of information on routes, put-ins, distances and licensing requirements.

2) Paddling Britain, Lizzie Carr

You may have heard of Lizzie Carr and her fantastic Plastic Patrol initiative, but she has also put together this rather useful book. Like the Pub Paddles book it gives distances, routes and guides for a number of trips, but it covers the 50 paddles from Cornwall to the north of Scotland, and is

certainly one to peruse before we are allowed back on the water.

3) Paddle the Thames, Mark Rainsle

This one is close to my heart as descending the Thames is one of my absolute favourite things to do. It looks like 2020 is going to be the first time in three years that I won’t get to make the trip. However, I’ll probably do the next best thing and go back through this incredibly useful guide to paddling this fantastic river.

4) Wild Guide to Devon, Cornwall, and the South West.

Considering that this is as far from London as we are likely allowed to be in 2020 it makes sense to consider not just paddle trips, but hikes, bike routes, and climbs all over the south-west.

5) The Thames Walkers Guide: Hampton to Richmond, David McDowall

This incredibly detailed book guides you through our own delightful stretch of Arcadian Thames. Working as well on the water as it does on the land it takes in Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare, Hampton Court Palace, Kingston Bridge, and numerous other sites. A must read for anyone living in the South-West London area.