Kayaking on the Avon at Sandy Balls

Commercial kayaking now seems to have been established at Sandy Balls Holiday Centre, on the River Avon at Godshill, just upstream of Fordingbridge.

The Gentleman at the River

The Gentleman at the River
The one who owned the land
Said I could not paddle
He told me I was banned
He explained that this was ‘his river’
And he was not obliged to share
But he kindly agreed to an access agreement
Which he considered fair
An annual trip on a very short stretch
On a specified date and time
Would be how canoeist’s could enjoy ‘his river’
Without committing a crime

I thanked this gentleman profusely
For his reasonable and generous ways
For agreeing to canoeists’ access
On those few, selective, days
And for forty years I kept to his rules
And I requested that others did too
This was, after all, ‘his river’
My negotiations reinforcing this view

But it was when he withdrew his permission
That I finally realised
That at that very first meeting
This gentleman had lied
This was no more ‘his river'
Than it belongs to you or me
In law nobody owns the water
Meaning that all our rivers are free
The river has flowed for thousands of years
Long before this man
His house, his fences, his cows and sheep
Had occupied the land
It is part of our natural heritage
Which is not the preserve of the few
Rivers are free for all to enjoy
Including me out paddling my canoe

The gentleman at the river
The one who owned the land
Said I could not paddle
He told me I was banned
I did not apologise, I did not speak
I launched within sight of this man
If someone says that you can’t paddle
Show them that you can

A poem written by a canoeist, not specifically about the Avon, but perhaps relevant all the same.

Fordingbridge to Ringwood

The following photos and notes have been supplied by a canoeist who made the trip from Fordingbridge to Christchurch one Monday in the spring of 2008 - allowing for the meandering course of the river this amounts to approximately 37kms. I have divided the journey into 3 sections of equal length. Fordingbridge to Ringwood, Ringwood to the Avon Causeway and the final leg to Christchurch harbour.

Access at Fordingbridge is provided by a small slip way at the southern end of the recreation ground (SU148138)

SU148133 A typical Avon scene. Reeds, willows and a fishing jetty

SU148131: There are two weirs at Bicton, one beside the mill, and this one a few hundred metres upstream. We portaged the first weir, easier and more discrete than the hatches by the mill (this would be runnable in a kayak in normal flows)

SU145129: Footbridge over the Avon
Looking downstream through the footbridge

SU147125: Fishermen's hut
A relatively upmarket fishermen's hut beside the Avon near Bicton

SU147111: River Avon
A swamped boat and a fishermen's hut amongst the willows

SU150100: River Avon above Ibsley. Trees growing at an angle, presumably because of the prevailing wind in this open stretch of meadows beside the Avon

SU150097: Ibsley Bridge
Looking downstream through the bridge that carries the road between Harbridge and Ibsley
The Old Beams Inn on the A338 here would provide a welcome stop for thirsty / hungry paddlers

SU149096: Ibsley weir
Looking upstream, towards the weir beside the A338 road at Ibsley. We portaged this weir. (runnable in a kayak in normal flows). Beware, sometime a garotting wire is strung across the weir

SU139083: Bridge to Somerley
The iron bridge that carries the drive across the river Avon from Ellingham to Somerley

SU138077: Attractive meanders through Somerley Park. The swirling waters demonstrate that the flow is surprisingly fast for a mature river

SU146056: Not the most attractive part of the river Avon. This electricity sub-station on the east bank, close to the A31 and its bridges over the river, make a stark contrast to the rural scenes above and below Ringwood

SU145056: These hatches, with a bridge above, are beside the busy A31 at Ringwood
SU142051: Old Bridge over the Avon at Ringwood This bridge carried the old road west from Ringwood over the river Avon. The view from the other side is much less attractive, where the two carriageways of the A31 by-pass each has its own concrete bridge. The central support of one can be seen here, through the centre arch

Ringwood to the Avon Causeway

The following photos and notes have been supplied by a canoeist who paddled from Fordingbridge to Christchurch one day in the spring of 2008. This ‘section’ describes the 12kms from Ringwood to the Avon Causeway

SU141048: Old railway bridge at Ringwood
With the railway gone, this bridge carries the Castleman Trailway over the river Avon. Viewed here from downstream. Each support comprises 3 pillars with horizontal beams, and is aligned across the flow on the bend in the river. This arrangement makes the bridge a great collector of trees and other debris

SU139033: River Avon above Avon Castle
The mixed trees on the right give away the fact that this is a residential area beside the Avon. Some very desirable waterside residences here

SU138030: Avon Castle
Environment Agency workers motoring past Avon Castle, a riverside property now divided into apartments. The tree in front of the building is an impressive plane tree, and there are others of similar size growing on the bank nearby

SU133008: Pumping StationThis pumping station is on the west bank of the river Avon, beside the A338. The sign warns passing boaters to keep clear of underwater apparatus

SZ139998: Shooting Hide beside the river Avon
One of a number of hides of the same construction, presumably for shooting waterfowl, on this part of the Avon
SZ145992: River Avon
Sabines Farm, viewed from the point at which the river divides into two streams (SZ141994). That shown is the eastern branch, which runs close to the B3347 at Avon
SZ149977: Avon Causeway bridge
The bridge over the river Avon at the eastern end of the Avon Causeway

The Avon Causeway to Christchurch

The following photos and notes have been supplied by a canoeist who paddled from Fordingbridge to Christchurch one day in the spring of 2008. This ‘section’ describes the final 10kms from the Avon Causeway to Christchurch Harbour

SZ156964: River Avon between Sopley and WinktonThe gatehouse to moorlands Bible College is the building just right of centre, in this view from the river

SZ160960: Hatches on the river Avon at Winkton
The river divides into two streams here. This is the view looking upstream from the western branch. The eastern branch flows to the right of the picture, upstream of the hatches

SZ160956: Hatches on the river Avon below WinktonThese hatches connect the east and west branches of the river Avon, which divides at Winkton and converges again at Burton. The function of the thatched building is not known to me

SZ157944: River Avon at Fairmile
Power lines and gravel extraction plant mar this view across the meadows from the river Avon towards Fairmile

SZ154940: River Avon above Christchurch waterworks
This pipeline across the river is near the upstream end of the large waterworks of the Bournemouth and West Hants Water Company. The river flow is controlled and divided into three streams here by sets of hatches, which also serve as footbridges carrying the Avon valley Path across the river. The tranquil, rural scenes of the upper stretches of the Avon are suddenly transformed at this point, not just by the industrial buildings, but by a profusion of high steel fences and unwelcoming signs

SZ156934: Railway bridge over the river Avon
Looking downstream through the railway bridge

SZ160931: A35 bridge over the river Avon
The view downstream through the bridge carrying the A35 Christchurch by-pass over the Avon

SZ162928: Bridge Street crosses the river Avon An interesting house on the east bank of the river Avon, in Bridge Street in Christchurch. The river divides into two streams about 200 metres upstream of this point, and converges again just upstream of the confluence of the rivers Avon and Stour. This view is downstream on the eastern branch of the Avon

The river now joins the River Stour, and flows into Christchurch harbour. The paddle can be extended a further 2.5kms across the Harbour to Mudeford Quay (SZ183917)

A note from the paddler

We paddled my open boat from Fordingbridge to Christchurch on Monday, 23km as the crow flies but 37km on the water. We launched at 9 and arrived at Christchurch at 4, having struggled against a strong head wind all the way, but with surprisingly fast flow – faster than the stretch we are familiar with around Downton.

We saw very few people. A farmer on the Somerley estate got on his mobile as soon as he saw us, a game angler threw a comment after we had passed, a walker said hello, and four Environment Agency workers launched a boat as we passed, motored past us at Avon Castle and were working on the bank as we passed them again. They were very friendly

All was well until we reached the Christchurch waterworks, where the hatches must be portaged. As we portaged we were challenged by one of their staff who said we were trespassing, and he crossed the bridge to meet us. We launched ahead of his arrival to avoid conflict and were met at the next bridge by one of his colleagues who took photos and told us he would confiscate our boat if he saw us there again. Both were quite unfriendly in their approach and very confident of their position. This is a difficult portage to make discretely and, although the portage across the hatches is on the Avon Valley Path, and therefore a right of way, you have to cross a small piece of their land, the grass bank, to launch again. Presumably they could prevent that if they saw you coming, or threaten to sue for trespass if they knew who you were?

Other than that, a great day out, lots of bird life below Ringwood, and a very pretty piece of countryside. We thoroughly recommend it.