River Barle - Simonsbath to Withypool
- Details
- Last Updated on Sunday, 19 February 2012 17:02
- Written by Mark Rainsley, also Adam Box.
GUIDE TO THE RIVER BARLE
(Simonsbath to Withypool)
NAME OF RIVER: Barle.
WATER LEVEL, ACCESS AND HAZARD UPDATES: Here.
WHERE IS IT?: The River Barle runs from northern Exmoor (Somerset) south to join the River Exe. It's pretty much drains the opposite side of the hill from the much harder River Lyn.
PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: This section begins at Simonsbath, high on Exmoor. There is limited parking near the bridge in Simonsbath, but really you are looking to actaully access the river about half a mile downstream; consider carrying your boat down the 'Two Moors Way' footpath to access the river. This is because the first half mile is pretty grim...see below (map).
Finish at Withypool (map) where there is a small carpark a hundred yards up the road river right of the bridge. You could also carry on below to Tarr Steps.
APPROX LENGTH: 6-7 miles.
TIME NEEDED: 2 hours.
ACCESS HASSLES: No problems reported.
Adam Box...(November 2002) 'My request would be that anyone who uses the river upstream of Tarr Steps should be very aware of the importance of the gravels for salmon spawning, and should take every precaution to avoid disrupting the river bed. Only by showing that paddlers can be responsible, environmentally friendly and aware of the needs of other river users can we hope to improve the access situation.'
WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: It should be clear whether you have enough water to paddle from Simonsbath. The more the better, although you will need to be alert for the fences in high levels.
GRADING: Grade 2.
MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: Trees to begin with. A number of sheep fences.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is only recommended to those who want a bit of real exploring; the paddling is not great but it offers a unique view of Exmoor.
The first half mile is best avoided and portaged river left (the 'Two Moors Way' footpath); the river flows through two sheep fences and what can only be described as an extended thicket. I suffered it in order that you don't have to.
After this poor start, the river winds away from farmland and enters remarkably bleak moorland. There are continuous small rapids with several mini-ledges. In high water the river is quite fast and bouncy. The 'wilderness experience' factor is quite high here!
There are two more sheep fences to watch out for before you reach Landacre bridge (officially the end of the earth) which is a good possibility for a quiet takeout point. There was scaffolding on the bridge in October 2002.
Below Landacre, the river is flat down to Withypool where there is a safe weir under the bridge. Take out on river right below the weir, or carry on.
OTHER NOTES: As wild as Exmoor gets.
CONTRIBUTED BY: Mark Rainsley, also Adam Box.
The other issue is that there is rarely enough water in it in the Summer (VERY rarely), and it can be a bump and scrape even in winter.
The Exe from Bolham to Tiverton is a more popular run in the area if there is enough rain in the Summer - the catchment area is much larger and it therefore comes up more readily. You are also less likely to meet any fisherfolk.
The above statements are simply my personal view on the subject - at the end of the day, it's obviously your call.
Hope this helps.
Simon
I've mountain biked alongside as well as waded through this section of the Barle in every single month of the year including christmas eve, new years day, snowy winters,
hot summers at morning, noon and night and hardly ever met a soul until Withypool.
In fact one highlight was a bunch of semi-naked girls swimming near cow castle but I digress.
There's one place where I've seen people other than dog walkers and that is just before Landacre.
So any thoughts? It'll be another month before I next get a chance to try it.
This being in the days before UKRGB, our local knowledge was sketchy, and we chose not paddle to Tarr Steps because there was a wire suspension bridge, piled up with tree debris, half underwater and swinging about in the current. The Steps themselves were completely submerged......we figured it was high water. The river description is entirely accurate. The "extended thicket" (beech trees meeting in the middle) and the sheep fences were particular highlights that you would want to avoid. You're obviously familiar with the scenery and the remoteness of the area, which in my view would be the only reasons for an experienced paddler being here, although it would be fine for relative novices, or perhaps a "source to sea" type adventure.
Given Adam's comments and the sensitivities of the locals you wouldn't want to be here in low water - I doubt you could paddle it then anyway.
Since my in-laws live a few miles from Simonsbath and, having just got a canoe, I was interested in tryoung out this section of the Barle.
I've mountain biked alongside as well as waded through this section of the Barle in every single month of the year including christmas eve, new years day, snowy winters,
hot summers at morning, noon and night and hardly ever met a soul until Withypool.
In fact one highlight was a bunch of semi-naked girls swimming near cow castle but I digress.
There's one place where I've seen people other than dog walkers and that is just before Landacre.
So any thoughts? It'll be another month before I next get a chance to try it.
Do you have any other previous experience, seriously dont go without some other experienced people who have done whitewater paddaling before, there has been a fatality on that river by an inexperiened canoesist a few years ago. I would suggest paddaling lower down where your within the acsess agreement its lovely down there, the upper section is a grade up.
Good luck.