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GUIDE TO THE RIVER MEAVY NAME OF RIVER: Meavy. WHERE IS IT?: South Dartmoor, not so far from Plymouth! The section described is directly above and runs into the lower Plym. PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: Put-in is at Goodameavy. Drive up to Goodameavy and get in by the bridge- (take care with parked cars - we've had a car broken into here!!).Take-out is at Shaugh Bridge (SX 533637) or continue down the lower River Plym. Limited parking is available at Shaugh car park. Vehicular access to the take-out points is good, but sadly, there have also been many break-ins to cars parked at Shaugh Bridge, so do not leave valuables in a visible position in your car. APPROX LENGTH: 1.5 miles. Mark Rainsley (Feb 2003)...'Paddling is certainly possible upstream of Goodameavy in very high water. Below the dam there is 500 metres of grade 4 ruined by tree jams, and then allegedly (as I have not seen this) several kilometres of easy water complete with wire fences and bushes. Anybody paddled up here?' TIME NEEDED: 20 mins if you run it straight off! ACCESS SITUATION: Don't know- never had any problems- other than some worried hikers advising us that the river got "pretty serious lower down towards Shaugh Bridge"...look at the lower River Plym for some idea of the local situation. Mark R adds...'while we were getting on, a Park Ranger approached us and informed us that paddling was not allowed on the river. We explained that we would be discreetly down the river in minutes and out of his way, and he basically said, 'fair enough' and let us go on our way.' WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: Works when the upper River Plym is too high. Walk a little way upstream of Shaugh bridge and look at the last bouldery rapids; will you scrape on these? We paddled the river in high bank-full conditions, and we really needed more a bit more water still; a minor flood ideally. GRADING: Grade 4. MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Fallen trees - there were plenty of these both times we've run it. There is also a strand of barbed wire across the put-in bridge. Assume that where there is one... GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The first section is flat but after a large Grade 3 on a left hand bend, the river becomes continuous Grade 3 and 4 until Shaugh Prior bridge. The difficulties consist of steep boulder gardens with the odd tree-avoidance tactic making for the trickiest moves. This is a very narrow river and flows through lovely natural surroundings; tramping up and down the banks dragging boats wouldn't do it much good obviously, so use your sense. OTHER NOTES: The section on the lower River Plym below the bridge is well worth continuing onto if the Meavy is flowing. Note that at high water levels, entering the lower River Plym with it's bigger volume and gradient, is like hitting 'fast forward'! If it's not too high, also consider doing the Upper Plym? CONTRIBUTED BY: Dave Francis and Mark Rainsley. |
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