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GUIDE TO THE RIVER DART (Waterworks Bridge to Buckfastleigh) NAME OF RIVER: Dart. WHERE IS IT?: The classic SW paddle, this trip is on Dartmoor, would you believe it, not far from Ashburton and the A38 Plymouth - Exeter road. PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: Put-in is no longer at Holne Bridge. It is now just upstream of Waterworks Bridge, a mile downstream. Have a look at the Dart Access website for full details. Take-out is at or near a 'Little Chef 'on river left directly downstream of the stone bridge in Buckfastleigh (as opposed to the huge A38 bridge after it). Change discreetly hereabouts, 'Little Chef' seem very patient with people using their carpark but don't abuse this and remember to eat/ drink something there! Alternatively, carry on downstream. Dart Access (August 2005)...'The Little Chef business has now closed (part of a national downsizing programme). The situation with regard to parking there is unknown at present.' Stuart Woodward (Nov 2005)...'I have noticed over the last couple of months paddlers taking out at what was the LITTLE CHEF at Buckfast. This is private land and as far as I am a where no legal egress/access has been sought with the new owners if there are any? Especially as a professional I do not want to be taking out on land, which the legality of my position is unsure. Recently I have had a number of paddlers asking me for clarification of where I take out on this section. On a previous posting on UKRG I have mentioned where I egress this lower section. Its on Dart Valley Railway land, river right after the A38 Bridge. On med low flows you can egress river right just above a weir. On high flows egress just after the A38 Bridge. There is ample parking for cars in a large car park by the Butter Fly Farm via a very low bridge. For high vehicles and parking for accessing the river on high flow runs, there is a smaller parking area left though a open gate between the café and the main station building, follow access road 300m until you arrive at an open space just after the railway yard. Richard Elliot from Dart Railways has been very helpful over allowing us to use this facility. Please act politely and park sensibly, all Richard asks if the café is open go in and have a coffee.' APPROX LENGTH: 3 miles. TIME NEEDED: At least an hour and a half. ACCESS SITUATION: Access is available to those with pre-booked tickets. Click on this link for full details... DART ACCESS These days however, many paddlers just get on and paddle without tickets. WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: It should be easy to judge whether this is paddleable by peering over the take-out bridge. If the upper sections are paddleable then this certainly is. GRADING: Grade 2 for most of the river with a few weirs posing difficulties. I have not paddled this section in high water but given that the weirs deserve respect in lower levels, assume that they will be very dangerous. MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Weirs. Chris Green (September 2002) - "I am nearing completion of the feasibility study that I am preparing on the proposed refurbishment of the weir at Buckfast Abbey. As people gear up for the forthcoming White Water season on the Dart, and in the light of my investigations, it may be worth reviewing the guidance given to canoeists using Furzleigh/ Abbey Weir. The fish pass on the left side of the weir is an extremely tempting route, especially in medium to low flows. I have shot it myself many times. But, the action of shooting each drop in turn leads boats to turn sideways and run slightly right and into the fast channel that forms the interface between the fish pass and the main weir face. In this channel, there is a 1m deep undercut at the right hand end of the third wall that is invisible to canoeists. I found it by wading around in the pools at low flows and poking about with a range pole. A colleague of mine in Teignbridge Canoe Club had a very nasty pin in the undercut a few years ago, but I only understand the danger that he was in now after carefully inspecting the weir as part of my work for the Abbey. I would be grateful if you could pass on this to other canoeists using that section of the Dart and urge extreme caution to anybody considering using the fish pass as a route down the weir." GENERAL DESCRIPTION: It's not uncommon to get caught up in 'Open Canadian' jams on this section of the river, don't ask me why they always seem to be here! There are some one-off Grade 2 rapids to enjoy, the most notable being where the river funnels right past a small ledge, and where it drops steeply through waves and stoppers to the left of a big island. Eventually you see Buckfastleigh Abbey come into view on river right and this heralds the approach of Furzleigh Weir. Get out well above on river left above this huge weir...you have the choice of a long slide or a series of awkward steps down a fish-pass...or a portage, which is probably what you'll want to do in anything other than low levels. See the 'hazards' section above. Below the weir is perhaps the best section of this trip. The river speeds through narrows, with at least one excellent surf wave to enjoy. It's all too short however, and when you pass caves on river right then you have almost reached the take-out bridge. See above for details. Note that there is another potentially dangerous weir not far downstream of the bridge...read the guide to the next section for details. OTHER NOTES: Consider carrying on below Buckfastleigh... CONTRIBUTED BY: Mark Rainsley, also Chris Green, Stuart Woodward and Dart Access. |
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