GUIDE TO THE RIVER TEIGN

(North and South Teign Confluence to A382 Bridge)

NAME OF RIVER: Teign.

WATER LEVEL, ACCESS AND HAZARD UPDATES:Here.

WHERE IS IT?: North Dartmoor. It is a large river with two significant steep tributaries, the North and South Teign.

PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: This section starts where the road crosses the South Teign heading up the valley from Chagford. It is recommended to drive a little further up the North Teign until you see a footpath on your right. This leads down to some stepping stones across the North Teign, GR 683878. Parking is limited, do not block the lanes.

If you just want the short whitewater section (or you have just come down the North Teign), finish at Chagford Bridge, GR 694879. Leave the river directly downstream of the bridge on river left; this is a public footpath.

There is very limited roadside parking beside the A382 Bridge at GR 713893. Egress the river through a gate from the footpath on river left.

Map.

APPROX LENGTH: 5 kilometres.

TIME NEEDED: Approx one and a half hours.

ACCESS HASSLES: No access problems have been reported on this section of river but you do pass through the grounds of some very exclusive looking property. Discretion is advised so that no offence is caused.

WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: The stepping stones where you start need to be all covered.

The Teign has the second largest catchment area on Dartmoor, after the Dart. However one of it's two tributaries, the South Teign, is dammed. Hence, heavy rain has less effect then one might imagine.

Both times I have paddled this have been after a night with some heavy rain. High water would be fun, but care would have to be taken regarding low tree branches.

GRADING: Grade 3.

MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: One tree to avoid. Weirs.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: From the stepping stones (GR 683878), the river enters a kilometre of continuous grade 3. This is worth considering in isolation with a finish at Chagford bridge. The bushes close in and there are pleasant bouncy rapids.

One thing that will wake you up is a large tree across the river. Thankfully this can easily be bypassed using a small river left channel leading into a long rapid.

Once the gorgeous Holystreet Manor is seen on river right, the river flattens out and five hundred metres of flat water take you to Chagford Bridge where you may wish to finnish.

If you continue downstream to the A352 bridge will find 2.5 kilometres of flat water with two harmless weirs. The second weir leads into a natural grade 2 rapid juust above the A382 bridge.

OTHER NOTES: This section is most likely to be done either as a more exciting start to the lower Teign (making for a great long day trip) or as a warm-down from the much harder North Teign, finishing at Chagford Bridge.

CONTRIBUTED BY: Mark Rainsley.